Little Mishaps
by Emiliana Keladry
Summary: It was supposed to be a simple mission, but when Spock returns with a four-year-old boy instead of the captain, they know it's not gonna be easy. Bones has to figure out how to fix him while dealing with temper tantrums and giggles. Kid-fic, No Slash.
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: I don't own Star Trek 2009 or anything related to Star Trek. Though I wouldn't mind spending an evening with Kirk or McCoy, but that's another thing.

Author's Note: I've always wanted to write a kid-fic and I couldn't help myself. There will be lots of whump and hurt/comfort. This will not be a slash fic, but it will include friendship between Kirk, McCoy, and Spock. It almost might include hints of Spock/Uhura. This is unbetaed, so please forgive any mistakes. Enjoy!

This is set after "Into Darkness". There is some swearing. Bones does like his colorful metaphors.

* * *

**Chapter One**

"Damn it Jim, don't touch it!"

Doctor Leonard McCoy continued to run the tricorder over the injured ensign as he listened to the laughter over the comm. The plasma injury was minor. The doctor administered a hypo of analgesic. He motioned for Nurse Chapel to assist him with the dermal regenerator. Captain Jim Kirk continued to laugh. He was on the surface of the uninhabited planet with Commander Spock, Lieutenant Uhura, and Ensign Talcott as they studied the transformation of a rare flower. Jim said something to Spock before speaking into his communicator again.

"Don't worry, Bones. I'm not gonna touch it." There was a pause and Spock's voice was muffled in the background. "You know Bones, this would be much easier if you weren't checking up on me and I wasn't wearing this damn medical bracelet."

"And you should still be lying on a bed in the medbay. The medical sensor is permitting you to be on the away team. You're still recovering from the Tarcalian flu. If you weren't allergic to the cure, we wouldn't have to worry about it."

"It's only some lingering nausea. I don't think it requires a medical bracelet."

Leonard shook his head and motioned for Chapel to finish up with the ensign. He moved into his office and picked up the PADD on his desk. His body ached as he finally sat down. "You also have a slight arrhythmia. I should have strapped you down to a biobed."

"I know. This is a once in a lifetime opportunity to see the transformation of the Tula flowers. I'm grateful you allowed me to come down. Really."

"Yeah, just be careful."

"I always am, Bones. Kirk out."

Leonard shook his head. "Careful my ass."

He went back to work, studying the chart in front of him detailing the most recent injuries and illnesses among the crew. Most were engineering mishaps. They were all fairly routine minor medical emergencies. He entered the information into his PADD for his report to Star Fleet Medical and headed back into the medbay to check on his patients. He only had two still recovering from the Tarcalian flu and both were expected to be discharged that evening. It would be a nice reprieve from all the cases he'd experienced before he'd had a chance to create a vaccine for the rest of the crew. Jim was one of the last to come down with the fever and extreme nausea. He'd been discharged that morning under the condition of the medical sensor and he had to check in once the away mission was completed.

The doctor checked up on his remaining patients, pleased with their recovery. He busied himself with other things, making a list of things to inventory when the last patient was discharged and before another engineer could have an accident. Two hours passed before he knew it. The doors to the medbay opened and Ensign Chekov hesitantly walked in.

"What can I do for you, Mister Chekov?"

The younger man shrugged and moved toward the biobed as Leonard pointed. Chekov took a seat, glancing around and looking uncomfortable. Leonard pulled out his scanner.

"I haz a headache."

Leonard frowned and his tricorder whirled softly as it worked. There appeared to be some stress in his frontal cortex.

"I can treat it. I suggest you get some rest and come see me if this doesn't make it feel better."

He fetched an analgesic. After he inserted it into the hypo, he injected in Chekov's neck and dismissed him. Chekov thanked him, promising to get some rest. At least someone on the Bridge actually responded when their health was in jeopardy. Kid really was a genius. Leonard returned to his inventory. He stopped when he heard a ping from his PADD; Jim's medical sensor had been triggered. He reached out and quickly pulled up the captain's stats and saw his heartbeat was irregular.

"McCoy to Kirk."

It was Spock who answered. "Doctor, the captain is experiencing some dizziness and confusion."

"Spock, I'm fine. Really." Kirk's voice was a little shaky.

"What's he doing?" Leonard interrupted.

"The Captain is sitting with his head resting in his hands. Is it your medical opinion we should cancel the rest of the mission?"

Leonard took a moment to think. He knew Jim really wanted to see the flower's transformation and he noticed his vitals were already stabilizing. He rubbed his forehead. "What's he doing now?"

Jim answered this time. "I'm standing up and I'm fine. No more dizziness."

"Alright. I won't pull you now, but if your vitals set the alarm off again I'm pulling you out of there."

"Understood, Kirk out."

The doctor returned to his task, cursing under his breath. He better not regret this.

* * *

"Spock to Doctor McCoy!"

The Vulcan's voice jarred Leonard's attention and he immediately looked up from the drawer of medical supplies.

"McCoy here."

"There is a medical emergency. We are beaming aboard. Please meet us in the transporter room."

"Understood. Who's hurt?"

Thunder rumbled in the background before Spock answered. "The captain."

Leonard grabbed his medical kit and ran toward the transporter room as fast as he could. The doors slid open as he entered the room. The away team materialized on the pad. He laid his eyes on Spock, Lieutenant Uhura, and Ensign Talcott. They were all soaking wet and shaking slightly, though the Vulcan seemed less affected. Leonard quickly realized Captain Kirk wasn't with them.

Leonard opened his mouth to say something, but stopped when he heard the soft crying. He hadn't noticed at first, but Spock held a squirming bundle in his arms. It was a child not more than four-years-old; a small little boy with blond hair and bright blue eyes. Jim's eyes. He was dressed an oversized yellow command shirt and two black socks, which were sliding off of his tiny feet. The cries turned into screams as Spock tried to adjust his hold on the little version of their captain.

"What the hell happened?" Leonard demanded, pulling out his tricorder and scanning the kid.

Jim took one look at the doctor and put out his arms. His lower lip trembled. Leonard raised one eyebrow before putting his tricorder away and taking the soaked kid into his arms. Jim buried his face in Leonard's uniform and he felt the moisture through his shirt. Leonard rubbed his back in an attempt to calm him down. He looked at Spock before turning and heading toward the medbay. Spock and Uhura followed close behind him.

As soon as they entered the medbay, the doctor ordered Chapel to bring him a warm blanket.

"Jim, it's okay." He continued rubbing the boy's back.

Jim's cries grew quiet and soon he was left hiccupping softly. He kept his face nuzzled against the doctor's shirt. Leonard didn't even flinch as one of the hiccups became something else and Jim vomited all over the both of them. The little guy whimpered.

"It's okay, kid."

He carried Jim over to the nearest biobed. Leonard pulled the ruined shirt off of the boy as Nurse Chapel used a sonic cleaner to remove the emesis from the captain's skin. Jim helped kick the socks off his small feet. Once Chapel finished, Leonard wrapped the boy in the warm blanket. He activated the screen above the biobed and stared at the readings. Jim's heart rate was still irregular. The screen showed he was in pain and his body was stressed. He pulled out one of the medications Jim wasn't allergic to, along with a sedative, and gently administered it to his best friend.

"You're gonna be okay, Jim." Leonard gently ran his fingers through the boy's hair as his eyes grew heavy, but he fought to keep them open. "Get some sleep. I'll be here when you wake up."

The blue eyes slowly closed. Doctor McCoy pulled the privacy curtain around the biobed and instructed Chapel fetch him a clean shirt as he took a blood sample from the kid-sized Kirk. He turned his attention to the First Officer as he worked.

"What the hell happened down there?" Leonard cleaned his hands on the towel one of the nurses brought him.

Chapel brought him a clean shirt and waited for him. Not caring about decency, he stripped off the soiled clothing and handed it to her to be destroyed. He pulled on the clean medbay uniform top as Spock spoke.

"We were observing the transformation of the Tula flowers when one of the small flowers emanated a white light and spit out a clear substance. Captain Kirk was standing close to it. He was sprayed with the liquid and for a moment appeared normal." Spock glanced at the small child. "He then screamed and fell to the ground. The light engulfed him for a moment and when he became visible, I immediately noticed the change. The weather quickly changed to a storm and we contacted you."

"I'll need a sample of the substance," the doctor interrupted.

"Ensign Talcott took a sample before we beamed up. I will make sure he gets it to you at once."

"Is the captain going to be okay?" Uhura's voice trembled as she watched the small boy's chest rise and fall.

"I don't know. I need to examine him." Doctor McCoy glanced up at the visual screen. "I'll let you know when I know something. Make sure all of you change and clean up. M'Benga can give you your post mission physicals."

Spock nodded and the two left Leonard alone with the suddenly young Captain. He went right to work. Jim's blood pressure was 100/68 and his body temperature was 99.5 degrees, a little high but not serious.

"Christine, see if you can find some clothing for him and get him cleaned up." He ran hand over his forehead. "I'll need to analyze the substance in his blood to see if I can figure out what the hell happened."

"Yes, Doctor."

Leonard stood for a second. Jim shifted slightly and curled up into a little ball. His pain indicators had level offed, but he was still restless. Christine came over with a small scrub top and pants. They were enormous on his small body, but it would have to do until he figured something else out. Leonard helped her dress him, noting he could see all of the kids' ribs. The head nurse put a hand on his shoulder before leaving him alone. Leonard had to find a way to fix this.

* * *

Leonard watched as Jim trembled beneath the blanket and poked his head out. His blond hair was tousled, but he was wide awake. He sat up a little bit. A brief look of pain crossed his features, but the kid quickly suppressed it. Jim picked at the blanket with his fingers, but didn't talk. He glanced up once at the doctor and gave him a small smile. The poor boy was painfully timid, the doctor noted. Jim pushed back the blanket and crawled down the biobed toward Leonard.

"Who are you?" his small voice inquired.

"My name is Doctor McCoy, but you can call me Bones if you'd like."

Jim smiled. "Bones is a silly name."

"What's your name?" Leonard sat up straighter as the boy moved to the edge of the bed and danged his legs.

The kid stared at Leonard. "James T. Kirk, but you can call me Jim or Jimmy."

"Doctor McCoy, how is the Captain?" Spock stood at the edge of the curtain.

Leonard started, almost falling from his chair. Jim squealed, crawling down the bed and pulled the blanket over his head. Spock simply raised an eyebrow.

"It took him ten minutes to come out the first time!" Leonard said, pulling the curtain closed and leaving Jim alone.

"I am sorry, Doctor. I only meant to inquire to the state of his health." The first officer tucked his hands behind his back.

Leonard ran his fingers through his hair. "He's a little malnourished and small for his age; he's only twenty-eight pounds and thirty-eight inches tall. He's underweight. Jim's fever is lower and I finally corrected his heartbeat irregularity. Physically, Jim is a normal four-year-old, though he is quite small." The doctor hesitated. "Emotionally, he's young and I suspect… he was emotionally neglected. It's not serious since he does try to communicate and reach out, but it would make sense regarding his low weight. Though with his list of allergies, I suspect Jim was a picky eater as a child."

Spock seemed to ponder the details. "Is it your medical opinion the captain has been reverted to his condition at a previous age?"

"Yeah. Other than that, I have no idea what happened. I'm still working on the substance Ensign Talcott provided."

"Do you believe the condition can be reversed?"

"How the hell should I know? I don't even know what happened!"

"Bones!" Jim's small voice sounded scared.

Leonard turned, quickly pulling the curtain open. Jim sat on the bed with his arms around his middle and making a face. The doctor grabbed an emesis container as the little boy puked up the meager contents of his stomach and let out a soft sob. Leonard rubbed his back, whispering softly. Nurse Chapel took the bowl away when he finished and Jim moved quickly. He stood up and jumped into Leonard's arms. The doctor almost dropped him in surprise, but held the small boy against his chest and continued to rub his back as he cried. He glared at the Vulcan.

"What the hell are we gonna do?"


	2. Chapter 2

**Author's note: ** Thank you all for the wonderful response to the first chapter! I do want to say that I have a bachelor's degree in social services, so hopefully my information will be accurate, but I'm not perfect. Enjoy!

All mistakes are mine. I don't own Star Trek.

* * *

**Chapter Two**

"I do not know, Doctor."

"For one, I'm pretty sure you are now Acting Captain." Leonard adjusted his hold on the boy and reached for a hypo with an antiemetic he wasn't allergic to. "Come on, kiddo. This will make you feel better." He injected it into his neck, frowning when the little guy whimpered.

Leonard set Jim back on the biobed and covered him up with the blanket. The boy grabbed his hand. The smile on the doctor's face faltered, but he held onto his hand and ran his fingers through Jim's hair until he started to close his eyes. Spock waited until Jim was asleep again. Leonard kissed the little boy's forehead before pulling the privacy curtain closed.

"I will have to prepare a report for Starfleet." Spock folded his hands behind his back. "I am unsure of what to report when we do not have a reason for the Captain's regression."

"Hell if I know. Politics. I'm more concerned about how to fix this. He's gonna ask questions about where he is and what's happening. Also, he's a kid. Jim can't be captain when he's shorter than Keenser." Bones leaned against an empty biobed. "My god man, I don't know what do to."

"May I make suggestion, Doctor?"

"I'm all ears. Forgive the expression."

Spock took a step closer to him. "I suggest you provide primary care for Jim while he is in this state. You do have a daughter and have experience dealing with small children. I'm afraid my training didn't include entertaining small children." He turned his head slightly before turning around. "I do not think the captain is sleeping."

Leonard moved back and poked his head behind the curtain. Jim lay still, but the bio-monitor showed he was still awake. He crossed his arms over his chest.

"I guess I can keep an eye on the kid. Not much different than what I'm used to doing; making sure he eats something, sleeps, and doesn't do anything stupid." He sighed. "Jim can stay with me."

The little boy poked his head out from behind the curtain, startling Leonard and causing him to swear under his breath. Jim held up the too large pants and walked forward; he was swimming in the clothing.

"I have to go potty." He hung his head, rubbing his toes on the floor.

"Captain, I will show you."

Jim frowned and took a step back. Leonard put out his hand, offering it to him and smiling when the kid snatched it. He showed him to the restroom. Jim darted inside and Leonard walked back over to the first officer.

"I get to give you one suggestion. Stop calling him Captain. You'll only confuse him and make it harder for him to trust you. Call him Jim and let him approach you. He needs time."

Spock glanced at the bathroom, but didn't move. "In your medical opinion, why do you think Jim is suffering from emotional neglect?"

Leonard didn't answer. He waited until Jim emerged from the bathroom and ran over to him. He scooped up the little guy in his arms and lifted him above his head. Jim rested his head on Leonard's shoulder and let out a soft sigh. The doctor turned to face Spock.

"Have you ever seen a picture of his father?" Leonard glanced at the blue eyes. "He looks just like him. To look at the spitting image of your husband every day, I don't agree with what she did, but I can't imagine how hard it would be."

* * *

The doctor sat at his desk as his stomach grumbled loudly. Jim sat across from him, playing a game on his PADD. Nurse Chapel had replicated him a pair of child sized grey sweatpants and a black t-shirt. Jim insisted on wearing his old large socks and he couldn't deny the kid's funny request. The kid flat out refused to wear any shoes. Leonard's shift was over, but he needed to figure out what happened or at least get a handle on if it could be reversed. He glanced at the little boy. Jim looked up and shifted in his chair. Leonard watched him, waiting for him to speak and giving him a chance to learn to reach out. The boy spoke softly.

"I'm hungry."

The older man put down his PADD and moved around his desk, putting out his hand. "I wondered when you'd ask. Let's head to the mess hall. I have on good authority that they have apples."

Jim took his hand. "I like apples."

"See you tomorrow, Doctor," Nurse Chapel said as the two exited the office area. "Good night, Jim."

The boy nodded in her direction and Leonard felt a surge of warmth for his best friend. He still had some of the same mannerisms as he did when he was an adult. Jim squeezed his hand.

The doctor wondered if it was a bad idea to take Jim to the mess hall for dinner. He could have ordered dinner. Crewmembers stopped in the hallway and nodded in his direction. Jim moved closer to his side and grabbed his free hand around the doctor's arm. Leonard rolled his eyes at the crew. No doubt the rumors had spread and now were being confirmed about the captain's new size and age. He should have ordered dinner to his quarters. After a female Ensign attempted to say hi, Leonard scooped up the boy and carried him the rest of the way to the mess hall.

Jim kept his head on Leonard's shoulder, but perked up a little when he saw the line of food. Leonard set him down on his feet. The boy didn't reach for the plates or move toward them. He stood still. The doctor grabbed a plate and started adding food he knew the kid wasn't allergic to. The neglect was even clearer since he wouldn't take the food. Leonard guided him to a table in the far corner of the room. Jim hopped up into the chair. The doctor sat in front of him and offered him the plate. He promised to be right back and went to get his own plate.

"How is the captain?" Crewman Lola asked, standing next to Leonard.

"He's fine," he growled. Bones scooped a heap of mashed potatoes onto his plate, splattering it on his fingers.

"I'm sorry." Lola frowned and glanced back at the table with Jim. "I hope you can help him."

"Thanks."

Before he could say anything else, she left the line and went to sit down. He sighed and returned to the table with his food. Jim hadn't touched his plate.

"Would you like something to drink?" Leonard pretended he didn't see the kid jump when he spoke.

"Can I have some milk?"

"Of course." He turned to walk away, but stopped at the sound of the little voice.

"Can I have chocolate milk?"

Leonard crossed his arms over his chest. "If you eat some of that apple, I will bring you some chocolate milk."

Jim grabbed the apple and took a bite. He chewed it and motioned for Leonard to go get the glass of milk. Bones grumbled as he walked, but internally smiled. It worked. Bones picked up two cups of chocolate milk. When he returned, Jim was still eating the apple, but one of the cookies was missing along with a piece of bread. He suspected the kid slipped it in his pocket for later.

"You have a kid?" Jim said, chewing softly.

"How did you…"

He shrugged. "The man with the pointy ears said you have a daughter."

Leonard forgot how smart Jim was, even though he was just a kid. "Yeah, I have a daughter named Joanna. She's about your age."

"Where is she?" Jim took a sip of his milk. "Why doesn't she live with you?"

"Joanna lives on Earth with her mom. We don't exactly get along." Leonard shrugged. "I see her as often as I can. You know… I mean, she loves hearing about our adventures." He groaned internally, almost having told him he knew about the situation. Jim didn't know anymore.

"What's she like?" Jim's curiosity wasn't satisfied.

"Sweet. She's quite a bit stubborn, but she's a good kid."

The boy frowned. "You miss her?"

"Yeah, but I have plans to comm her later this week." Leonard returned his attention to his food before a thought crossed his mind. "How come you never asked where you were?"

"I'm on a ship. I can feel the engines. Mom took me with her a few times, but she said I was too much trouble and she stopped going on ships." The captain stopped eating. "Where is my mom?"

Leonard didn't know what to say.

"It's okay. She's gone a lot. I'll be okay."

The doctor reached across the table. "Hey Jim, I'm here with you. Nothing is gonna happen to you."

Jim didn't answer, but continued eating. The conversation hit a lull, but Leonard kept his eyes on Jim to make sure he ate enough. He'd have to make sure the kid put on some weight. No one approached the table for which Bones was very grateful. He finished eating and drank the rest of his milk. Jim's eyes grew heavy, but he kept his head up and it made Leonard smile. He saw Scotty enter, out of the corner of his eye, and the engineer motioned for him. He excused himself for a moment.

Scotty just wanted to make sure Jim was okay and wanted to know if he could see him, but Leonard didn't want to overwhelm Jim. He promised to let him see him tomorrow. The doctor turned back to the table and saw the little head resting on the table. Jim fell asleep. Leonard walked over and scooped the kid up in his arms. Scotty whispered he'd clean up the dishes. Jim snuggled into his shoulder and didn't wake up.

As soon as Leonard got to his quarters, he laid the boy in his bed. Jim sighed and rolled onto his stomach. The doctor tucked the blanket around his best friend as he pulled the cookie and bread out of his pocket, leaving it on the nightstand. Jim would look for it when he woke up.

"You're gonna be okay, kid. I'll fix this. Somehow."

* * *

Leonard looked up at Spock entered the medbay. Alpha shift started ten minutes ago, so it had to be the green hobgoblin. Jim snuggled into his shoulder as the Vulcan approached. He continued sucking his thumb, despite the doctor's protests and encouraging him to remove it. The little guy whimpered and blinked his heavy eyes. An uneaten bagel was held tight in his other hand.

"Good morning Doctor, Jim." Spock stood at attention and observed the two of them.

The doctor kept his voice even. "I beg to differ. Chapel, can you come over here for a moment?"

"Yes, Doctor." Christine smiled at the miniature captain. "What can I do for you?"

"Can you play with Jim for a little bit while I talk to Commander Spock?"

"Of course."

She put out her hand and waited for Jim to climb down from the doctor's lap. Jim took her hand and crossed the room. He dragged his feet in protest, but went with her. Leonard stood up and rubbed his hands over his face.

"Doctor?" Spock's eyebrow went up. "Is there something wrong?"

"Just look at him!" He sighed and tried to calm down. "Neither of us got much sleep. Jim had nightmares. Pretty extreme ones. I am guessing his mind might have access to his memories from his subconscious, but his smaller mind can't comprehend it."

"What makes you think that?"

Leonard shrugged. "He talks in his sleep and mentioned Pike and Nero. Jim is still in there, but we can't talk to him. We can only talk to _him_, the kid version of Jim. One of his nightmares caused him to wet the bed, though that is partially my fault since I didn't have him go to the bathroom before bed."

"I am sure Jim doesn't blame you."

He watched his best friend as he shook his head at Christine and refused to take his thumb out of his mouth. "If I can't fix this –"

"I have every faith you will, Doctor."

"I don't!"

Spock seemed to deflate a little bit. "I believe you can help Jim, but you need time to work on a cure for his predicament. Would it be helpful if I took him on a tour of the ship to give you time?"

Leonard glanced at the kid. "He might not go with you. He's been a bit clingy this morning."

"Would it help if I promised he could sit in the captain's chair and see the bridge?"

"It might. Let me see if I can convince him." The doctor walked over to the sulking boy and knelt beside him. "Hey Jim, would you like to go on your own adventure?"

The boy sat up a little straighter and pulled his thumb out of his mouth. "What adventure?"

"Mr. Spock wants to give you a tour of the ship. He'll show you all of the cool places and he might even take you to the bridge to sit in the captain's chair. But you have to behave and keep your thumb out of your mouth. What do you think, Jim?"

Jim whispered, "Okay."

"Good." He patted Jim's leg and stood up.

The boy followed him as he walked over to the Vulcan. Spock hesitated before offering his hand to Jim. Jim didn't move to take it. Leonard pushed him forward a step, but the kid didn't cooperate. He sighed and motioned for Spock to lead the way, knowing Jim would follow close behind. It might not have been the best idea, but he had to get some time to work on a cure.


	3. Chapter 3

**Author's note: ** Again, thanks to all of you for adding this story to your alerts. I'd love to hear what you are thinking and if you have any suggestions of scenes you'd like to see! I'm not a geneticist, so please forgive any errors. I'm a little nervous of this chapter from the perspective of Spock, so hopefully it comes across properly. Enjoy and feel free to drop me a line!

* * *

**Chapter Three**

"We will take the lift the rest of the way to the Bridge." Spock motioned for Jim to enter, but he didn't.

Jim hesitated and rolled to the balls of his feet. "Is it safe?"

"I would not let you enter if it weren't safe." Spock waited and the little guy didn't move. "I will not let anything harm you."

Jim nodded and popped his thumb in his mouth before entering the lift. Spock followed behind him.

"We will be arriving on the Bridge promptly."

Spock glanced down at the small version of his captain as he rubbed his shoe on the floor of the lift. It was the doctor's condition of him leaving the medbay; he had to wear shoes. Jim rubbed his nose and sniffled, not seeming to care or notice the older man had just spoken to him. The lift stopped and the doors opened to the Bridge. Jim's eyes widened, but he didn't move. The Vulcan moved forward and waited for him to exit the lift.

"Jim, we have arrived."

The boy slowly stepped out of the lift and jumped when the doors closed behind him. Again, Spock offered his hand. Jim didn't take it, but a smile crossed his face as he saw the empty captain's chair. He let out a puff of air before walking over to it.

"Can I sit in it?" Jim asked. His blue eyes sparkled and Spock found himself unable to deny the request even if he had wanted to.

"Of course." Spock moved toward the chair in case the boy needed assistance getting up.

Jim moved quickly and sat with his feet sticking out on the chair. His legs were too short to dangle over the edge. He was smiling from ear to ear as he looked around at the Bridge and all of the consoles. The little guy put his arms on the armrest. Or he tried to. Spock couldn't help but observe that Jim seemed comfortable for the first time that day. Sulu and Chekov turned their chairs around to watch him as the rest of the bridge crew continued working as if nothing had changed. The doctor would be grateful for the behavior toward Jim, so he wasn't frightened.

"I like this." Jim relaxed further into the chair. He noticed the two men staring at him and his expression faltered a little. "Who are you?" His eyes fluttered to meet Spock's. "Did I do something wrong?"

"I'm Sulu and this is Chekov. It's nice to meet you." Sulu smiled at Jim, trying to stay calm as the boy's face fell and he pulled his legs up in the chair, curling up into a ball.

"Iz good to zee you," Chekov greeted.

"You talk funny." Jim kept his eyes down as he spoke.

"Jim." Spock kept his voice even, though there was a slight warning in his tone.

Chekov put up a hand. "Iz okay, Commander." He smiled at the little boy. "I'm Russian."

"Oh. Sorry."

The adults laughed, causing Jim to curl up further into the chair. Spock began to see why Jim might not have been ready to interact with too many people. He couldn't take too many people speaking to him and giving him attention. The Vulcan opened his mouth to say something, but quickly closed it as Jim slipped down from the chair and walked over to Sulu. Jim pointed at one of the buttons, but made sure not to step too close to the stranger.

"What does that one do?" Jim asked.

Jim listened to the helmsman as he explained some of the buttons and icons. He tucked his hand into his pocket, drawing out his bagel from breakfast and started eating it as he watched. Sulu laughed once. Jim stepped back and tried to put the bagel back into his pocket.

His voice trembled. "Can I not eat here?"

"It's okay. You can eat in here," Sulu answered.

Jim smiled and took another bite of the bagel, pointing to another button.

Nyota walked over next to Spock and observed the two interacting. Jim got a little bolder and asked if he could press one of the buttons and Sulu gently instructed him to press a button that wouldn't change anything.

Uhura smiled at her captain. "He's still very curious."

"Indeed." Spock felt her eyes on him. "Doctor McCoy might have to worry about him taking apart one of his tricorders to see how it functions. He is interested in how things operate."

"How are you doing with all of this?" she asked.

"I am fine."

Nyota frowned. "He's your friend, even if you are stubborn about admitting it sometimes. It has to be hard to see him like his. He's Jim, but he's not our captain. He's just a little boy, lost and neglected."

"It is… unfortunate and not the same."

Nyota put a hand on his shoulder, quickly letting it fall since Spock didn't like public displays of affection, especially on the Bridge. He silently thanked her with his eyes. One of the astronomy officers contacted him a moment later about the pulsar they were studying in two days. Spock went to his station to work. He worked for most of the morning, keeping an eye Jim as began a little more confident and interacted with several of the Bridge officers. The boy still flinched if anyone came too close. The crew quickly picked up on it and was mindful of his boundaries.

"McCoy to Spock."

"Yes, Doctor." Spock glanced at the chronometer and saw it was time for lunch.

"How's Jim doing?"

Spock could hear the exhaustion and stress in the doctor's voice. He looked over at the little boy and watched him giggle softly at something Chekov said. Nyota smiled down at him.

"He is doing well. His interactions are positive at the moment. Have you made any progress with your research?"

There was a sound of Leonard sitting down and sighing. "I've managed to determine the cause of the regression. The fluid excreted from the plant works as a genetic altering agent. It literally changed his DNA, modifying his cells to a younger age. I've no idea how it reverted his body and mind, but it did."

"Can you change it?"

"I'm working on developing a cure, but I don't know. The research on the subject is limited, but I'm doing my best."

Spock nodded. "Understood, Doctor."

"Just make sure Jim gets something to eat. He knows what he's allergic to. Make sure he eats enough. He needs to gain some weight."

"I will make sure he consumes something nutritious."

"McCoy out."

Spock finished his report and moved over to Jim. The little boy listened as Chekov finished his story and the rest of the group laughed. Nyota smiled at Spock.

"Jim, we need to find you something to eat. After you finish, I can show you the rest of the ship."

"Okay." Jim ran over to Spock and grabbed the Vulcan's hand without thinking.

Immediately, pain radiated in Spock's head. Confusion. His vision blurred. He pressed a hand to his forehead and stumbled back a step, almost losing his balance. He could clearly see his best friend in his mind as he shivered. Jim was in his adult form, but barely clothed and covered in bruises. Jim groaned and then let out a soft sob. _Help me, Spock. You have to help me. _Spock released the boy's hand and Nyota quickly put a hand on his shoulder to steady him. The Vulcan focused on breathing in and out as the image stayed in his mind. Jim was still in there. Nyota said something, but he didn't hear it. The pain diminished slightly and he stood up straight, adjusting his uniform.

"Spock, are you okay?" Nyota repeated.

"I am… unclear."

Spock's eyes searched for Jim and found the little boy cowering behind Chekov and sucking his thumb. A few tears slid down his cheeks. He mostly likely had no idea what happened when he touched Spock, but Jim was frightened. The Vulcan walked over to him and knelt down at his level.

"Jim, I am unharmed. Are you alright?"

The little boy nodded. "I'm sorry."

"There is no reason to apologize." Spock straightened. "Would you like to continue to the mess hall?"

"I wanna see Bones!" He bit his lip to hold back more tears.

"Jim –"

"No, I wanna see Bones!" The boy stomped his foot against the deck plating before popping his thumb back in his mouth.

Nyota stepped in as Spock opened his mouth. "I can help you take him back to the medbay to see Doctor McCoy. He can take a look at you and make sure you're okay."

"Agreed."

The communications officers scooped Jim up in her arms and let him put his head on her shoulder as he whimpered. Spock said nothing as they walked. He'd never experienced something so vivid from his touch telepathy before. Bones came over as soon as they entered the medbay. If it were possible, he appeared even more exhausted and stressed without having Jim in the room the past few hours. Jim saw him and reached for him. The doctor didn't say anything as he took the boy in his arms.

"Doctor, I believe I experienced a strange encounter when I touched Jim's hand." Spock shifted once.

Leonard moved the boy onto his hip with practiced ease. The Vulcan noticed Jim had already calmed down and his eyes were heavy. "Uhura, can you bring Jim something to eat from the mess hall? I want him to eat before he falls asleep."

"Sure, I'll be right back." She smiled at him before quickly exited the medbay.

Leonard plopped the boy down onto one of the chairs and handed him his PADD, pulling up a game from him to play. Jim smiled and started pressing buttons. The doctor motioned for Spock to sit down on the biobed.

"What exactly do you mean by strange encounter?" the doctor asked as his tricorder started whirling.

"When my hand came in contact with Jim's, I experienced discomfort and I saw an image of our Captain. He was in pain and his skin was marred with bruises. He asked me to help him."

Leonard frowned as he stared at the readings. "Your neurotransmitter levels are elevated, but other than that you are in perfect health. Are you experiencing any lingering pain?"

"No. It dissipated when I released his hand and broke the contact."

"Good." The doctor lowered his voice. "You saw him and heard him?"

"Yes, Doctor. I believe I was able to see him and hear him calling for me to help him. As you mentioned this morning about his mind accessing his subconscious in his nightmares, it is my opinion I experienced the same thing when I touched his hand." Spock sat up straighter on the bed. "It was uncomfortable."

"I don't doubt it."

Leonard glanced at his miniaturized best friend and sighed. Spock saw the pain cross Doctor McCoy's face and quickly be replaced by a mask as the boy looked at the doctor, giving him a smile before popping his thumb back in his mouth. The doctor continued his examination to make sure there were no other problems and finished as Nyota returned with food for Jim. The boy shook his head at the sight of it.

"I'm not hungry." He stuck out his lower lip, pouting.

Doctor McCoy sighed and knelt next to Jim after taking the plate from Uhura. "You need to eat, Jim. It will make you feel better. You'll have more energy to play."

"No."

Leonard gently pressed a hand to the boy's forehead. Spock watched in wonder as the captain leaned into his touch and seemed to relax. He was definitely more comfortable with the doctor.

"No fever. I know you're tired, but I want you to eat something or I'll have to put a needle in your arm to give you nutrients."

Jim's eyes widened. "No needles!" He snatched the sandwich off the plate and took a big bite, scattering crumbs all over his clothing.

The doctor returned his attention to Spock, giving him a clean bill of health and recommended he limit his physical contact with Jim until things could be sorted out. Nyota thanked McCoy and promised to meet Spock on the bridge. Spock stood for a moment and observed his two friends. Jim finished his sandwich. He nibbled a little bit on the apple before leaning back in the chair and holding the PADD up to continue playing his game. Leonard smiled at the boy.

"Please inform me if anything changes. I will take a look at your information and see if I can offer any suggestions," Spock said.

Bones nodded. "I'd appreciate any help you can give me. There's not exactly a ton of information on this type of case. It's hard to see him like this."

"I too am finding it disconcerting to see Jim so vulnerable." The Vulcan looked back over at Jim and saw the little guy had fallen asleep. "If it is beneficial to you, myself or another member of the crew can help watch him while you work on a solution. I am sure others would be willing to help."

"I'd try to limit it to you, Uhura, Sulu, Chekov, or Scotty. We don't want to overwhelm him." Bones noticed the sleeping boy and smiled. He moved over to him and lifted him onto the biobed, covering him with a clean blanket. "Hopefully he'll sleep better this time."


	4. Chapter 4

**Author's note: ** An early update for you! I'd really love to hear your thoughts on this chapter. I really liked writing the scene with Scotty below. Thanks for your positive response! Also, if you haven't noticed, this story does take place after "Into Darkness" and during the 5 year mission. There's slight spoilers in this chapter if you haven't seen the new movie.

Enjoy!

* * *

**Chapter Four**

Bones adjusted his hold on the blanket-cocooned Jim and kept rocking him back and forth. The sweat slowly started to evaporate off his forehead and from his tousled hair. Tears still rolled down his cheeks. The little boy's nap only lasted an hour before he woke up screaming and couldn't calm himself down. In his frightened state, Jim worked himself up until he threw up his lunch and couldn't stop shaking. Nurse Chapel couldn't calm him down. Bones had only been gone for five minutes. An engineer had been burned in a nearby corridor and needed seen to. When the doctor returned to the medbay and saw Jim screaming with Chapel trying desperately to calm him, Leonard quickly stepped in. He'd been rocking the child and trying to calm him for ten minutes with little effect. At least he'd stopped screaming.

The doors to the medbay slid open, admitting Uhura with a small blue blanket, with white polka dots, wrapped around a fuzzy object. She walked over to them and frowned at the sight of her friend. Jim refused to look at her.

"I brought the things for you. They were fairly easy to replicate from the information you gave me." She untangled the blue blanket and pulled out the fluffy elephant. "I tried to make it as close as possible."

"Thank you." Leonard's voice was soft and strained. "Jim, Uhura brought something to make you feel better."

Jim shook his head and continued staring at the doctor's shoulder.

Uhura held up the elephant and the blanket. "I brought your elephant and blanket, Jim."

His eyes quickly glanced in her direction. Jim put out his arms for the objects, but he didn't smile. Nyota passed them to the child. She couldn't help but grin when he cradled them to his chest. Jim put his thumb back in his mouth and closed his eyes.

Leonard continued rocking him back and forth. "Thanks again. I really appreciate it."

"It's not a problem."

Nyota stepped to the side to give them some privacy. She watched as Jim relaxed in the doctor's arms and slowly appeared to fall asleep. Leonard moved around in the chair so he had access to one of the drawers and loaded a hypo. He gently pressed it to Jim's neck. After a moment, the boy's body went limp in his arms. Leonard carefully laid him on the biobed and tucked the blankets around him. Nyota looked away as he pressed his lips to Jim's forehead and smoothed his hair back. It was such an intimate and fatherly moment. She didn't want to intrude.

"Is he going to be okay?" Uhura asked.

Leonard joined her after fitting a medical bracelet around Jim's wrist and closing the privacy curtain. "I gave him a sedative that causes dreamless sleep. He'll be groggy when he wakes up, but it should prevent the nightmares he's been having. Kid's gonna give me a heart attack if he screams like that again."

Nyota crossed her arms over her chest. "What's causing his nightmares? He can't be afraid of that many things. He's just a little boy."

"Jim's always suffered from nightmares, even as an adult. Spock and I think our Jim surfaces in the kid's subconscious and he causes the nightmares. Not intentionally." Leonard leaned against the biobed. "Jim can't catch a break."

"Is there anything I can do to help?"

"You just helped out a lot. I forgot Jim told me he had a stuffed elephant and that blanket when he was little. It was some story he told to get sympathy from a woman. It worked and it saved our butts today."

Nyota nodded. "Would it be alright if I finished Jim's tour of the ship after his nap? This way Spock won't have to be in close contact with him and you can continue your work."

Bones winced as he rubbed a knot in his shoulder. "I'd appreciate that. I'll let you know when he wakes up."

* * *

Jim was definitely still a bit groggy as they went to Engineering. He relaxed onto Uhura's shoulder, but perked up when they headed toward the warp reactor. He lifted his head and looked around. Jim squirmed in her arms until Uhura set him on his feet.

"Is this really the engine?" he asked.

"Yes, you bet your ass it is," Scotty said, coming around the corner and stopping in front of the boy.

"Language," Nyota warned.

"Sorry." Scotty turned his attention to the little boy. "Welcome to Engineering, laddie. My name is Scotty. Yes, this is the warp core reactor, the heart of our lovely lady."

"Lady?" The corners of Jim's mouth turned up.

"Yes, our lady the Enterprise. She is a beauty."

Jim giggled softly. "I've never heard someone call a ship a girl before. It's silly."

"No, Jim, it's true. Let me show you a little bit more about our lady and you'll understand. A ship like this should be treated like a lady."

Jim nodded and followed Scotty to the main engineering console. Uhura followed him and listened to the two boys talking animatedly. Jim seemed to relax in the man's company and had lots of questions for him that Uhura didn't think a normal four-year-old would want to know. She watched Jim interact with Scotty as they played around and he showed the boy everything he could. Jim soaked it up.

Scotty walked past the door to the inside of the reactor, not glancing at it. He still had trouble looking at the door without seeing his captain's dead body inside. Jim paused.

"What's in there?" he asked.

"The inside of the core; it's not safe in there. Come on, Jim. Let me show you something else."

The boy didn't move. His eyes tightened and he seemed to be thinking. Nyota knelt next to him and put a hand on his shoulder. He didn't flinch or move. Jim continued to stare into the small space and looked at his own reflection in the glass.

"Is something wrong, Jim?"

Jim frowned. "I remember. I've been inside of there."

Before Nyota could say anything, the moment of clarify passed and he ran back to Scotty's side, pulling him forward. She stared at the door for a second and tried to push away the memories. Nyota covered her mouth, holding back tears. Scotty approached her.

"Are you alright, lass?"

She nodded. "I'm fine. I can't believe he remembers that. Even if it was just for a moment, Jim remembers his own death. No wonder he can't sleep without screaming."

Scotty gave her a moment alone and moved back to Jim's side. His memories seemed to be repressed again and he returned to being a bubbly curious boy. Nyota regained control of her emotions and continued monitoring the little boy for any other signs he remembered who he was.

After two hours, Jim walked over to Uhura and pulled on the side of her dress. She looked down at him. "Yes, Jim?"

"I'm hungry."

"We can go to the mess hall and get something to eat. But first, I want you to thank Scotty for showing you Engineering."

"Thank you, Scotty." Jim put out his hand and shook the older man's. "Can I come back and see you again?"

"Anytime, Jimmy."

Nyota and Jim walked to the mess hall. She smiled when Jim filled his plate with food and proceeded to eat most of it while she sipped her tea and ate her chicken salad. Jim watched her as he munched on the turkey sandwich, not bothering to mind his manners. Considering he was eating, Uhura didn't mind.

"How are you doing with everything? It must be a bit scary to be on a ship without your mom." She watched his expression stay the same.

"Mom isn't around a lot. I like being on the ship." Jim grabbed his cookie and took a bite. "Bones is really nice to me. It's like having a daddy. I like him."

Nyota couldn't help but smile at him.

"But don't tell, Bones. He's fun to tease."

"I won't. I promise."

Jim went back to his plate. Despite her promise, Uhura knew she'd tell Leonard what Jim said about him. It would help him remember all of this hard work was worth it. She liked being around the young Jim, but she missed her flirting Captain.

* * *

Leonard opened the door to the ambassador suite and headed into the bathroom. Jim trailed behind him, holding his blanket and elephant.

"What are we doing in here? This isn't our room."

"No. This is a room for special guests and this room has a bathtub."

A big smile crossed Jim's face. "I get to take a bath? Yay!" He jumped up onto the bed and started jumping around on the soft bed. "Bath time!"

Leonard shook his head, but continued to smile at he ran water into the tub. Jim had returned in such a good mood after finishing his tour with Uhura and seeing Scotty. Nyota expressed some concerns about Jim remembering being in the reactor chamber, but Leonard already suspected memories had been surfacing. He was too happy about what Jim said about him. Nyota felt a little bad telling Jim's secret, but the doctor was incredibly grateful to hear Jim thought of him as a father figure right now. He longed more to have his best friend back, but Jim was comfortable with him.

As soon as the water finished, he helped the boy undress and lifted him into the bubbly water. Jim squealed in excitement. Leonard pulled out the bag he'd brought into the bedroom and drew out two different items, a plastic boat and a rubber duck.

"Ducky!"

Jim giggled as he dropped the duck into the boat and submerged both of them under the water. Leonard let him play as he silently used a washcloth to clean him up. The little boy claimed it tickled twice. Leonard squeezed some of the baby shampoo onto his palm and began massaging it into the boy's hair.

"Thanks," Jim whispered.

Leonard wiped the soap before it dripped into his eyes. "Thanks for what?"

"For taking care of me. I'm sorry I scared you. I woke up and you were gone. I needed you to help me, not the nice nurse lady."

The doctor swallowed the lump forming in his throat. "Tip your head back." Using a cup, he gently worked the shampoo out of his hair. "It's okay, buddy. I won't leave you like that again."

"I like you, Bones." Jim submerged his boat and ran it along the edges of the tub as he kept his eyes down.

Leonard smoothed the boy's hair back to keep the water from dripping in his eyes. "I like you too, kid." He kissed his forehead.

He let Jim play for a little longer before helping him out and drying him off. Jim picked out a pair of stripped footie pajamas. Chapel had replicated a few more outfits for Jim, seeing as they had no idea how long he was going to be stuck as a kid. Leonard handed Jim his elephant and went to finish picking up the bathroom. He made a note to let Jim take another bath tomorrow since it helped calm him down and he really enjoyed it. The COMM beeped as he finished.

"Spock to Doctor McCoy."

"McCoy here, how can I help you, Spock?" Leonard picked up Jim's clothing and tucked it into his bag.

"We are in closer proximity to the pulsar nebula and I thought our young guest might be interested in seeing it."

"On our way, McCoy out."

He scooped up Jim and headed in the direction of the Bridge.

"Where are we going?" Jim asked, rubbing one of his eyes.

"The pointy eared guy has something to show you."

Jim didn't say anything as they stepped onto the Bridge. He gave Spock a tight look, but stopped as soon as he saw the incredible image on the view screen. The red, purple, and blue colors of the nebula swirled around the screen. Jim gasped, almost dropping his elephant.

"What is it?"

"You are looking at a pulsar nebula. We will be studying it for the next several days." Spock moved to stand next to Jim. "It has some unique qualities we will be examining."

"It's cool!" the boy exclaimed.

"Fascinating," the Vulcan agreed.

A console beeped behind them. The ensign frowned as he read the results.

"Commander, sensors are detecting low levels of gamma radiation being emitted from the pulsar," he reported.

"Raise the shields." Spock turned his attention to Doctor McCoy. "What affect can this level of radiation cause with the crew's health?" He downloaded the information onto his PADD and handed it to the doctor.

"As long as the shields are raised, the crew shouldn't be affected." He lowered his voice. "I should warn you that gamma radiation has a greater effect on children."

"Understood."

Jim crawled into the captain's chair, holding tight to his stuffed animal and covering his legs with his blanket. "Can I sleep here? It's so pretty."

"Nice try, kid. You're sleeping in your bed tonight."

Bones moved closer to him as the lights on the Bridge powered down and turned back on again.

"Report," Spock said, returning to his station. "We are experiencing minor power drain from an unknown origin."

Leonard saw the frown on Jim's face. He picked the kid up and tickled his sides until he started giggling. "We better let Mr. Spock get back to work. You need to get to bed."

"I will keep you updated. Good night, Jim." Spock nodded, getting a funny look from Jim as he stuck out his tongue.


	5. Chapter 5

**Author's note: **I am eternally grateful for all of your wonderful reviews! Thank you all so much for sharing with me. Dochia, thank you for your review (since I can't reply to it). I don't have a medical degree and I appreciate your help! I made those corrections for you. Enjoy the new chapter!

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Star Trek. Also I don't own Toy Story or Mr. Potato Head. :)

* * *

**Chapter Five**

Leonard rubbed his hand over his face as he stared at the results and tried to comprehend them. Jim's nightmares had stayed away with the sedative, but the little guy had still kicked him all night long and Bones could barely sleep. He'd been worried about Joanna before, but never like how he worried about Jim. Starships were not a safe place for a child, let alone one with so much curiosity like Jim. If he couldn't fix this… most likely Jim would be taken back to Earth. He knew he couldn't let someone else take care of the kid. He'd have to leave the Enterprise. But that was still a big "if". Leonard straightened in his desk chair and heard his back crack painfully. He glanced over at the sleeping boy. It was a little after four in the morning and Jim was still sound asleep.

"I have to fix this, Jim. You wouldn't let me give up, but I've got no idea how to turn you back into our Jim." Leonard watched as the boy rolled to his side, but didn't wake up.

He stared at the results again and programmed another possible simulation serum. Jim let out a soft whimper, but stayed asleep. Bones waited and sighed when the simulation failed. There had to be something he was missing. He went back to the chemical composition details about the substance that changed him. It had to be the missing key.

"M'Benga to Doctor McCoy!"

"Yes. What can I do for you at this hour?"

"I'm sorry to wake you."

"You didn't wake me," Leonard interrupted. "And don't worry, Jim is heavily sedated. He won't wake up."

There was a quick pause as someone spoke to the other doctor. "There's been a medical emergency in Engineering. Lieutenant Scott's been injured and I need your assistance. There are six other patients to deal with, but he is the most critical."

"I'm on my way." Leonard quickly dressed, glancing once at Jim before hailing Uhura. "I'm sorry to wake you."

"Is there something wrong?" Nyota asked. He could hear the sleep still in her voice and felt guilty for waking her.

"Yeah, there's a medical emergency, but I don't want to leave Jim alone. He shouldn't wake up until eight and he'll be groggy again. I hate to ask, but –"

"It's not a problem. I'm on my way."

"I have to head to the medbay immediately. I'll leave my door unlocked for you."

* * *

"You doing okay, Jim?" Nyota asked, putting her hand on the arm of the captain's chair.

"Yes." Jim nodded, sticking his hand into his snack bag of fish-shaped crackers. "Can I go see Bones yet?"

"He's still helping Scotty. He hurt his leg pretty bad and Bones is making sure he feels better and gets the best care. I'm guessing you'll be able to go see him in a little bit."

"What happened to Scotty?"

Uhura frowned. "Well, there was an accident in Engineering and his leg was… it was just hurt pretty bad. I don't think you need to know any more of the details. How's your snack?"

He popped one of the fish into his mouth. "Yummy."

"Good. I'll let you know when we can go see Bones. Okay?"

The little boy shrugged, returning his attention to the video on his PADD. He wrapped his arm tighter around his elephant. Nyota brought Jim to the Bridge after he'd had breakfast and let him watch an old cartoon movie with toys that talked. He liked it. Jim pulled his blanket up a little higher and rubbed his ear as he watched. The volume on the movie was low, so he could still hear everything happening. Jim looked up at the view screen at the swirling colors and then refocused on his movie. He giggled as the potato character lost his eyes. Jim tapped the screen to pause it.

"What's this?" he asked, holding his PADD out in Nyota's direction.

She moved from her chair and looked at the object his small finger pointed at. "It's called Mr. Potato Head. You can pick what eyes he has, shoes, ears, or nose. It's an old toy."

"Do we have one I can play with?"

"I don't know, but I bet we can find one or make one for you."

"Lieutenant, we need your assistance," Spock said.

"I'll have to get it for you later. Sorry, Jim."

He shrugged and tapped the screen again. "Okay."

"Commander, deck four is experiencing gravitational problems," the additional science officer reported. "Section six of deck eight is reporting the temperate is down to zero degrees. The relays are starting to freeze up."

Jim looked up from his movie and shifted in his chair so he could see Spock. The pointy-eared guy's brow wrinkled slightly. Crewmembers moved quickly around the Bridge. They spoke in overlapping voices at times. The lights flickered. Jim stopped his movie and climbed down from the chair, clutching his elephant to his chest. No one noticed his movements or the change in his expression.

"Two more reports of injuries," Nyota said, her eyes not leaving the screen.

"Commander, I am experiencing problems with the navigation sensors." Sulu didn't turn around as he talked.

Jim frowned. He wanted to go see Bones now and was tired of waiting. He didn't like how his friends on the Bridge were working frantically and having trouble with the ship. It was scary. No one even looked in his direction as he side-stepped across the area. They were all too busy.

"Engineering iz reporting a problem with ze power maintenance grid," Chekov said as the lights dimmed and only the red emergency lights flashed.

"Switch power to auxiliary," Spock ordered.

A few seconds later, the lights came back on and didn't flicker again. Jim stood unnoticed.

"Mr. Sulu, all stop. We need to discover the source of the malfunctions before we precede any closer to the pulsar nebula." Spock tapped a button and informed the crew with a ship wide alert of what was happening and what do to if they came in contact with a malfunctioning area.

Jim held tight to his toy and stepped into the lift. The little boy would take himself to the medbay since everyone was so busy and he would be out of the way. He wanted Bones to make it all better and make it not so scary. He'd know what to do.

Jim walked down the hallway. No one stopped him to ask where he was going and everyone hurried past him in both directions. He moved a little faster until he reached the medbay and stepped into another crazy scene. His breath caught in his throat.

"I need two CCs of metoprolol, stat!" Bone's voice carried across the medbay.

The little boy reluctantly moved into the room and looked around. Two crewmembers held a woman up as she sat on the biobed and cried out in pain. Blood seeped from a large cut on her forehead. Jim shivered, squeezing the elephant tighter and kept searching until his eyes fell upon Bones. The doctor didn't notice him. He lifted his hands and Jim's eyes widened as he stepped back. Dark red blood covered his gloved hands and the front of his medical uniform. Bones didn't seem to notice and continued shouting instructions to Nurse Chapel.

Jim turned and ran from the medbay. He blinked to keep from crying as the door closed, leaving him alone in the corridor with no one to comfort him.

* * *

Leonard washed his hands again and took the offered towel from Christine. She looked as exhausted as him. Christine handed him his thermos of hot coffee with a smile on her face. He thanked her and went to check up on his first patient of the day. Scotty looked up from his PADD when the doctor entered and lay it down on his lap. He opened his mouth to protest, but Leonard put up a hand to silence him as he took a swallow of the acidic brew.

One of the consoles the lieutenant had been working on had malfunctioned and partially exploded. Scotty's leg took the brunt of the damage. It had been sliced fairly deep and he'd lost a lot of blood by the time medical support arrived. He also had two broken ribs and a moderate concussion, along with first and second degree burns. The screen above the biobed showed he was stable and recovering nicely.

"How are you feeling?" Leonard asked.

"I feel like I should be working on mah ship, not lying in a bed!" Scotty threw up his hands in frustration.

"You are still recovering from a serious injury. You're staying here for another day or two at least." Leonard plopped down in the chair and sighed.

"How's the ship?"

"Spock seems to think the pulsar nebula is causing some of the malfunctions and he's trying to fix it." Leonard rubbed his shoulder. "We're stopped until we can discover the cause."

"Spock to Doctor McCoy."

"Speaking of the hobgoblin, what can I do for you, Spock?"

Spock was unfazed about the nickname. "Doctor, how is the crew managing?"

"Most of my patients are stable and have been discharged to their quarters. Mr. Scott is recovering nicely." Leonard smiled as the engineer rolled his eyes. "Should I be expecting any more of those wonderful malfunctions?"

"It is my understanding that the majority of the malfunctions are under control. I hope that is reassuring for Mr. Scott."

"Not really," Scotty grumbled.

Leonard bit back a snarky comment and took another swallow of his coffee. "How's Jim doing with everything? I feel bad leaving him with you when things were a bit scary for a little kid."

There was a long pause. Leonard sat up straighter, feeling his stomach churn once.

"Jim is not in my presence. I assumed he was with you."

The thermos slammed onto the small table next to Scotty's bed as the doctor scrambled to his feet. "Damn it! Spock, he was on the Bridge with you. I haven't seen him since early this morning and he was still asleep." He jabbed his finger onto a screen on the wall. "Computer, locate Captain Kirk."

"Internal sensors are malfunctioning," the automated voice responded. "Unable to locate Captain Kirk."

"Well, apparently the damn sensors are still down!"

"Doctor, I assure you we will find him. I suggest we begin with the places he is most comfortable. It is logical place he would go to a place he is familiar with. I will begin in the mess hall and you can check your quarters. Uhura will search Engineering."

"We sure as hell better find him! McCoy out."

* * *

Two hours and no one had found Jim. They attempted to notify the crew with the COMM system, but it went down before they could. Word of mouth wasn't as effective. He wasn't in Engineering, Leonard's quarters, the mess hall, and he didn't return to the Bridge. Leonard ran his hands through his hair as he tried to imagine where Jim would go. Nyota and Spock joined him the medbay, having exhausted their search locations with no luck.

"He's a four-year-old. How the hell is he evading us?" Bones crossed his arms. "And how did no one see him?"

"It is unclear if a member of the crew saw him, but has not had a chance to acknowledge it due to the COMM system being unavailable." Spock stood at attention, and it was clear he was stressed.

"We'll find him, Leonard." Nyota put a hand on the doctor's shoulder.

A thought crossed Leonard's mind as he remembered the memory that surfaced in Engineering with Scotty. But no, Jim had no reason to go there. It was worth a shot at this point. "What if he went to his quarters? He might have remembered they were his and went there. It's the one place we haven't checked."

"It is possible," Spock added. "Although his quarters were sealed when the captain regressed."

"Somehow, I bet he figured it out."

Leonard moved toward the captain's quarters with the two others close behind him. If the incident on the Bridge had triggered one of Jim's memories, he might have remembered who he was long enough to make it to his quarters as a comfort zone. Bones picked up the pace and ran down the corridor. He paused outside the captain's quarters before letting Spock open the doors with his override.

Leonard couldn't help but smile at the sight. His chest heaved as he fought to catch his breath and fight the overwhelming relief.

"Hi Bones." Jim sat on his bed, dressed in an overly large command shirt and had several toys spread around him on the unmade bed. "Wanna play with me?"

Words refused to form. He walked up to the bed and sat down beside him as Jim lifted up the plastic potato and demonstrated how to put in the eyes. Leonard kissed the top of the boy's head.

"I was worried about you."

The little boy frowned. "I'm sorry. I got scared and I wanted to play."

He let out a sigh and put an arm around the boy, giving him a tight hug. Jim returned the embrace and giggled softly. Leonard glanced over at Nyota and Spock waiting in the doorway. They both were relaxed. Nyota would later deny she had tears in her eyes.

"Wanna play with Mr. Potato Head? You can play with Buzz." Jim handed Bones the space ranger toy.

Leonard examined the toy, recognizing it from the movie they'd been watching the day before. "Where did you get these?"

"I made them." He pointed to the replicator as he absently rubbed his ear.

"Good job, kid." Leonard pulled Jim onto his lap and started moving the space ranger. He frowned, remembering something. "Where did your clothes go?"

Jim stopped playing with Mr. Potato Head. "These are my clothes. Right?"

"Yeah, Jim. They are."

The doctor and Spock shared a look. Jim's memories were becoming fairly confusing for the little boy; he was going to have more questions for them and they still didn't have answers.


	6. Chapter 6

**Author's note:** Thanks for all of your lovely reviews! I really enjoying reading your comments. I forget which one of you asked, but you get a nice Spock and Jim scene! It's one of my favorites. :) Enjoy and let me know what you think!

* * *

**Chapter Six**

"With the help of Mr. Scott, I believe we have determined the pulsar nebula is the source of the malfunctions aboard the Enterprise," Spock stated. "We have come to the decision to stop our approach and return to a safe distance to complete our scans."

"This way, no one will hopefully get hurt," Scotty piped up from his bed.

The senior staff had decided to meet in the medbay so the chief engineer could be a part of the conversation. Jim sat on Scotty's bed, playing with the Mr. Potato Head toy and Woody. He giggled as he made the toys talk to each other. Bones smiled and returned his attention to the briefing.

"What is the status of the communications system?"

Uhura turned her focus away from Jim. "Internal communications have been restored, but I'm having some difficulties with long range communications. There's no way to tell Starfleet about the pulsar."

"Navigation and propulsion are functioning again," Sulu added.

"Ze power grid haz stabilized." Chekov crossed his arms behind his back as he spoke.

Spock tilted his head. "We will continue to work on repairs to the damaged systems and complete our scans of the pulsar before continuing with our mission."

"Make sure to file the correct report, Commander."

They all froze at the sound of the small voice saying something so normal. Jim hung his head and went back to playing with his toys. Scotty put his arm around him and gave the kid a big smile. The boy looked up at him.

"Jim?"

"Yes." The coy smile on his face only lasted for a second before it dropped. "Wanna play with Buzz?" He handed him the toy.

Spock motioned for Leonard to step to the side so they could speak in private. Scotty took the offered toy and began to play with the boy. Bones tried to wipe the expression from his face. It was one thing to know about Jim's surfacing memories, but another to hear him speak normally. It didn't last long, but it was Jim.

"Doctor, I would like you to keep a closer eye on Jim. Would it be possible to change the sensitivity of his medical monitor?"

Leonard swore loudly, causing Jim to look over in his direction. "Sorry, kid. It's okay." He lowered his voice and turned back to Spock. "I'm an idiot. Medical monitor, a bracelet, Jim was wearing one when this happened, but he wasn't wearing it when he returned to the Enterprise. There should be more data about his transformation."

"That is good news, Doctor. In the meantime, is it possible to more closely monitor the captain to know when he is experiencing a surfaced memory?"

Bones watched as Scotty poked Jim in the nose, getting him to giggle. Jim sat up a little bit and tried to put the plastic eyes from the potato toy on Scotty's face. The engineer balanced them on his eyelids. The rest of the senior staff laughed at him. Leonard motioned for Spock to follow him. He stepped in front of the nurses' station and pulled up Jim's brain waves from the medical monitor. Scrolling back a little, he found the spike in neural activity.

"That's where the memory surfaced a minute ago. It lasted for ten seconds." Leonard pointed to another part of the scan. "His pain indicators rose substantially, along with his blood pressure. It hurts him. I think it might be better to have Jim wear a neurotransmitter to block the memories from surfacing, along with taking a medication to help suppress them. They confuse him and scare him. As nice as it is to have Jim back for a few moments, it isn't doing the kid any good."

Spock nodded once. "I agree with your diagnosis. I do not want to cause Jim unnecessary pain."

"Let's do it."

The two walked back over the group. Spock dismissed them and ordered them to contact him with their progress in two hours. Leonard suggested Scotty get some sleep and lifted Jim off of the biobed. The little kid grabbed his toys. He thanked Scotty for playing with him. Leonard deposited Jim on an empty biobed and tickled him until he giggled. Spock stayed with the little guy as the doctor found a small neurotransmitter and calibrated it to block the memories. Jim watched him bring it over.

"What's that?" Jim asked.

"It's gonna make it so you don't have any more bad memories or dreams." Bones leaned over and rested his arms on the bed.

"Will it hurt?"

"Nope. You'll feel a slight pinch when I put it on your neck, but other than that it won't hurt. Then I have to give you some medication to make it work. Can you be brave for me?"

Jim bit his lip and shook his head. "You sure it won't hurt?"

"I promise." Bones demonstrated where it would go on his neck, right below his ear. "You can have a cookie when we're done."

"Okay!" Jim sat up and grabbed his elephant to hold onto.

Leonard gently placed the neurotransmitter behind his ear and frowned when Jim winced. "Sorry, kid." He applied the hypo with the medication next. "I'm all done. Christine is gonna go get your cookie. I need to get some work done in the medbay."

"Can I stay here with you and Scotty?"

"Of course. I need someone to keep an eye on my nurses and make sure they behave. Also, I want to make sure the medication doesn't make you sick."

Jim shrugged, playing with his elephant. He jumped down from the bed and ran over to Christine, asking her for a chocolate cookie and chocolate milk. She laughed, promising to bring them to him. Spock excused himself to tend to things from the bridge. Bones sighed. He pulled up the results from the medical monitor Jim had been wearing when he changed and started to study the scans, hoping for a way to help his best friend.

* * *

Jim sat in the captain's chair, rubbing his ear and winced. He shivered and adjusted his blanket as he watched the toy movie again. Despite the medication from Bones, he'd not slept well. His ear hurt. At least he didn't have any more dreams about the man screaming for help. Bones made him spend some time on the Bridge to give him time to work. Scotty had been discharged, but he was resting and couldn't play with him. Jim looked over at Spock. He tapped the screen to pause his movie and crawled down from the chair.

"Can I go see Bones?" he asked.

"When I am finished with this report, I can escort you down to the medbay." The corner of his mouth twitched slightly. "Is there something I can help you with?"

The little boy stuck out his lip and pouted. "My ear hurts."

Spock turned his head to the side. "I can take you to the medbay if you are in pain."

"Hurts," Jim whispered.

The Vulcan stood and told Sulu he had the Bridge. He moved toward the lift doors, pausing when he saw Jim wasn't following him. The little guy grabbed his stuffed animal and blanket before coming to stand next to him. He lifted his arms, silently asking for Spock to pick him up. Spock hesitated before reaching down and picking up the little boy. Jim immediately placed his head on the Vulcan's shoulder. Spock felt the heat from the boy's fever and suppressed a surge of concern for his friend. He must not feel well. Spock placed a hand on the boy's back, feeling him squirm and squished the elephant against him. He carried Jim into the lift and let the doors to close, commanding the lift to take them to the correct deck.

A second later, the power went down, stopping the lift and showing only the red emergency lights. Jim whimpered and shuddered in his arms.

"What happened?" he whispered.

"I am unclear. I will contact the Bridge." He shifted the boy in his arms, but Jim locked his arms tight. "Spock to the Bridge."

"Sulu here."

"What is happening? The lift has stopped functioning," Spock reported.

"I'm scared," Jim whispered.

Sulu's response took a second. "We're experiencing loss of power in all of the lifts and decks four through eight power levels are fluctuating. Emergency power is functioning, but the lifts are still down. The transporters are down too, so we can't get you out until the power is restored."

"Are any other members of the crew trapped?"

"No. Just you and Jim."

Spock internally noted it wasn't bad. Jim squeezed him tighter and pressed his forehead to Spock's neck. The heat reminded him of the urgency to take Jim to Bones to get him checked out. The boy squirmed in his grasp and whimpered.

"Is Mr. Scott working on restoring the power? Jim is in need of Doctor McCoy."

"He's working on it as quick as he can but he's still on restricted duty. I can patch you through to Doctor McCoy."

"Thank you, Mr. Sulu."

Spock waited for a moment in silence as the communication was transferred to the medbay. Leonard's voice came quickly and he could hear the worry in his tone.

"Spock, are you and Jim okay?"

"Bones!" Jim perked up a little, but didn't lessen his hold on the Vulcan. "My ear hurts," he whimpered.

"Hey, kiddo. We're gonna get you out of there and I'll make your ear feel better." Spock could imagine the doctor pacing around the room. "Did it hurt last night?"

Jim nodded. "Yeah. I didn't want to tell you. I'm sorry!" He bit his lip to keep from crying.

"It is okay, Jim."

"Is there anything I can do to help him feel better?"

"Keep him calm. We'll get you out as soon as we can."

The doctor's voice cut out, leaving them in silence. Jim cried softly onto his shoulder. Spock moved to sit on the floor of the lift, finding it easier when the boy sat on his lap instead of being held in his arms. His arm released the boy, but Jim grabbed his arm and pulled it to his shoulder. Spock held back from making a comment. The lights in the lift blinked, but didn't come on fully. The power still wasn't restored. The captain rubbed his ear and took a shaky breath. Spock gently took the boy's hand. He was grateful no memories assaulted him. _Fear. Pain._ He used his thoughts to calm the little boy.

Several minutes passed and Jim relaxed into his arms. He buried his face in Spock's shirt and the Vulcan didn't protest.

Jim mumbled softly. "I remember you."

"From what instance do you remember me?"

"I was behind the glass." He sniffled. "Everything hurt and you didn't save me." Jim looked up at him and stared into his eyes. "That's why I didn't want to be around you."

Spock felt his insides twist, but his expression remained neutral. Of all the moments for Jim to remember him; that one had to be the most vivid. No one he didn't want to be around him. He pushed the though aside and looked at the little boy's glassy eyes. "Jim, there is no need to apologize."

"There is!" the boy shouted. "I saw you another time. You were in the hospital with me and Bones said you saved me."

"Please stay calm."

Jim nodded and put his head back on Spock's shoulder. "I'm scared, Spock."

"Nothing bad will happen to you while you are with me."

The two sat in silence as they waited for help to come and get them out. Spock felt sweat from Jim's forehead dampened his shirt. Despite the sweat, Jim shivered and tried to pull his blanket over him. The Vulcan assisted him until he was covered fully.

"Doctor, are the internal sensors functioning?" Spock said, hailing the medbay.

"Yeah, I think so."

"Would it be possible to do a scan of the lift and detect Jim's body temperature? It appears to be elevated greatly. Jim is uncomfortable."

"Give me a second." McCoy was quiet as he worked. "His temperature is 103.6. We need to get his fever lowered. Remove his blanket. It's not helping him cool down."

"No," Jim whimpered. "Not blankie!"

He clung to it. "We can move it to the side. No one is gonna take it."

Jim sighed and popped his thumb in his mouth. McCoy instructed him to keep an eye on his temperature. They waited for almost an hour. Jim fell into a fevered sleep, whimpering and murmuring in his sleep. Spock spoke softly to him. After a little while, the boy calmed down in his arms. It was safe to say little Jim didn't fear him anymore.


	7. Chapter 7

**Author's note: **Thanks again for all of your lovely reviews! I love reading your comments. _DLB48_ – You asked for a humorous scene and this chapter has a great one! I hope you enjoy it.

As a warning, Bones swears quite a bit. There's also a bit of a cliff-hanger on this one… enjoy!

* * *

**Chapter Seven**

Jim sighed, snuggling further into Spock's lap and holding his elephant against the man's chest. There was still no power in the lift. He closed his eyes. His hand reached up from inside his blanket to rub his ear as he whimpered. Spock didn't want to stop his movements if rubbing the appendage caused him any relief.

"Did your ear hurt when you were little?" the little boy asked.

Spock brushed Jim's hair back from his eyes. "Vulcan children did not fall ill as frequently as human children, but I do remember contracting a fever when I was young. It was unpleasant."

Jim nodded in response. "I get sick a lot. Mommy isn't home to take care of me and it makes me sad. I don't like doctors."

"Bones, as you call him, is a doctor. You appear to like him."

"He's a good doctor."

Jim opened his blue eyes again and Spock saw how moist with fever they were. He glanced at the chronometer and noted it had been two hours since the lift power went down. Scotty had given them an update twenty minutes previous that he was getting close to restoring the power in the lifts; he'd already fixed the power to the decks and the transporters, but Doctor McCoy was against Jim being transported due to the state of his genetic material and they had no idea the affect it would cause. They simply had to wait a little bit longer.

"Did your dad hold you like this?" Jim murmured, nuzzling his face against his blanket and Spock's shoulder.

"He did not. It is not customary to hold Vulcan children and 'cuddle' them."

"You're really good at it. I'm sorry your daddy didn't hug you. Mine never got to hug me, but I still miss him."

Mr. Scott's voice came through the intercom before Spock could reply. "We've restored power. The doors should be opening now."

As he finished speaking, the doors to the lift slid open to the Bridge. They hadn't even made it very far. Spock stood, being careful not to jostle the boy. He commanded the lift to take them to the correct deck and this time it complied. The commander released some of the tension in his shoulders as he carried Jim into the medbay. A very worried Doctor McCoy rushed over to them with his tricorder ready.

"How's he doing?" Leonard inquired. He assisted Spock in lying Jim on the nearest biobed and making him comfortable.

"Jim is much calmer than before, but his fever is still high."

"I've been monitoring him with his medical bracelet." He turned his attention to Jim. "Which ear hurts, kiddo?"

Jim pointed to his right ear before reaching out and grabbing Bones' hand. He touched the doctor's hand to his face, causing him to frown as he felt the fever himself. Leonard worked in silence as he found the right hypo and administered a pain reliever, along with the dreamless sedative. He waited until Jim released his hand before tucking the blankets around him and going to find another medication.

"It's an ear infection," the doctor said, loading the pink cartridge into the hypospray. "They are quite common in children. I'm giving him some amoxicillin and it should clear it up in a few days. He'll feel much better when he wakes up." Leonard nodded once. "Thanks for looking out for him."

"It is my duty, Doctor." He glanced at the boy before following the doctor to his office. "Jim revealed to me he remembers me saving his life after the Khan incident. He recalls being in the chamber, seeing me on the other side of the glass. But he also remembers waking up in the hospital and being told I saved him. I believe it is the reason he is hesitant around me."

"Damn bastard. Jim suffered from horrifying nightmares for weeks because of that son of a bitch. I think you witnessed a couple while he was recovering." The doctor rubbed his forehead as if he was developing a headache just thinking about him. Leonard grabbed his thermos of coffee and took a swig. "I do have some good news for you. I think I'm getting close to finding a cure for this. Hell, I miss having the real Jim around. I enjoy the kid, but…"

"But he is not our friend and captain," Spock finished.

"No, he's not."

"I'm hoping I can have an answer in a few days or at least have successful simulations with the serum."

"I do agree."

Leonard sighed. "For once, your agreement doesn't bother me."

Spock was silent for a moment. "If you need any assistance, let me know. I must return to the Bridge to check on the situation."

"I will."

Leonard headed back over to Jim as Spock headed to the doors to the medbay. The doctor stopped him for a second.

"Spock. Thanks again for taking care of Jim. If he knew, I think he'd appreciate it."

"He would appreciate everything you are doing too. I believe the human phrase is something along the line of him owing you one when this is over."

The doctor laughed once. "You got that one right."

* * *

Two more days passed and the malfunctions stopped altogether. They had finally cleared the pulsar nebula and sent along their information to Starfleet. The admirals had requested an update on Captain Kirk's condition and seemed to accept that Leonard was working on it. They also had Starfleet Medical reviewing the information to see if they could provide any solutions. Leonard emptied the rest of his thermos and looked up as the doors to the medbay opened. Jim bounded in, pulling Scotty behind him.

"I wanna show Bones what I made!" Jim exclaimed loudly.

"Just wait a minute, laddie. I think the doctor is working." Scotty leaned in the direction of the doctor's office and peered through the door.

Leonard stood up and left his office, bringing the empty thermos. "Nope, I'm taking a break now. I can't work without coffee."

"Bones!" Jim ran toward him and reached up.

The doctor bent quickly, scooping the little boy up in his arms. Jim giggled and gave him a hug.

"I made you something."

"What did you make me?"

Jim pulled a metal band out of his pocket. He opened Bones' hand and pushed it onto his palm. It was a small bracelet with an electronic counter, set at zero.

"What's it for?" Leonard asked, trying to keep from smiling.

"You tap the screen and it counts how many times someone says they are fine, when they aren't." Jim grinned. "I thought you'd like it."

The little boy was a genius at a young age. It was a perfect gift for him. Leonard grinned and kissed the little guy on the forehead. "I love it, Jim." He tickled the boy's side until he begged for him to stop as he laughed.

Jim poked him the nose. "Do you wanna go have pie with me? Scotty says he has to go back to work."

"I would love to have pie with you. Make sure you thank Scotty for playing with you."

"Thank you, Scotty!" Jim said, blowing him a kiss and then sticking out his tongue, causing the engineer to laugh.

Leonard's felt his stomach churn a little at the trust his best friend had gained. A week ago he wouldn't have spoken to Scotty or played with him. He cowered behind Bones and was scared of everything. He barely spoke. Now the little guy had so much to say and Bones could see a little bit of the personality of his best friend emerging. Leonard gave Jim a hug as he told Christine he'd be back in a little bit. The two slowly headed to the mess hall. Jim gushed about how much fun he had with Scotty in Engineering and how he got to press some of the buttons. It was hard to tell he was recovering from an ear infection. Leonard set him on his feet as he looked at the replicator.

"Can I have apple pie?" Jim jumped up and down, pulling on the doctor's shirt.

"Of course, Jim. You're allergic to most of the other kinds of pie."

He ordered two pieces of apple pie and carried them to a table. Jim got himself some milk and followed behind him. Leonard handed Jim a fork and he dug in.

"You really like the bracelet?" Jim asked with a mouthful of pie in his mouth.

"I do. It's very special to me."

The little boy frowned. "Am I special to you?"

"Jim, you mean the world to me. I think of you like you're my son."

A blush covered his cheeks. "Thanks Bones. I wish you were my daddy."

"Me too, kid."

They continued to eat their pie in silence. Bones wrinkled his eyebrows to keep from looking too emotional. Jim smiled at him, playing with the whipped cream on the top of his pie.

"Don't play with your food."

The little boy giggled. "Why?"

"You'll get food all over yourself," Bones stated.

Jim seemed to think about what he said before asking his next question. "Is it bath night tonight?"

"You're just had a bath last night. You don't need one."

Leonard didn't notice as Jim slipped his fork below the table for a moment before lifting it again. Apple pie smacked Bones in the face. Jim burst into laughter and he almost fell out of his chair. Bones frowned and wanted to scold him, but he couldn't do it. He grabbed his own fork and flicked pie at the little boy. Jim gasped and grabbed his plate. He stood on his chair and shoved the rest of his pie in the doctor's face. The plate fell onto the table with a loud clink. The rest of the occupants in the mess hall were staring with wide eyes and their mouths open. Leonard watched as Jim giggled and ran across the room. He jumped up and chased him.

"I got you!" Bones said, spinning around and tickling the little boy.

"You have pie on your face! You need a bath."

"Oh, you think I need a bath?" Leonard grabbed a plate of mashed potatoes from the line and smeared some on the boy's face. "Now you need a bath!"

"I want a bubble bath." Jim grinned at the doctor, causing him to roll his eyes.

"You tricked me, Jim."

He shrugged. "Of course I did. I think you should tap your gift for that one."

Bones tapped the surface of his bracelet and apologized to the crewmember that had to clean up the pie and potatoes on the floor and table. He let Jim wrap his arms around his neck and carried him to take a bath. _Little manipulative kid._ Hell, he missed his Jim even more.

* * *

"Damn it!"

Leonard stared at the screen as he read the results. He ordered the computer to run them again. He took another gulp of his coffee, not caring he was burning his throat and wouldn't be able to taste anything for the rest of the day. It didn't matter if he couldn't fix it. The results popped up. They were the same. The doctor reached over and hit the comm button.

"McCoy to Spock. I need you the medbay when you have a chance."

"On my day, Doctor."

He wished he had something a bit more alcoholic to numb his pain, but he needed to focus. At least Jim wasn't present to witness his distress. The kid was incredibly perceptive and it would make him a bit more cautious. Jim was currently in the Astronomy lab with Chekov. The Russian volunteered to watch him, even though he'd been very reluctant to spend much time with his miniaturized captain.

McCoy looked up when his office door opened and slid shut again.

"You requested my presence, Doctor. Am I to assume you have made progress?"

"Yeah, but you're not gonna like it. I found a cure to Jim's size problem, but I can't give it to him."

Spock's mouth tightened. "I am not sure I understand."

"I can't give it to him! It will kill him." Leonard threw up his hands in frustration and gestured to the screen. "I've tried every combination of the serum, using the chemical make-up from the liquid Jim got on him from the flower. The only way that works will kill him."

"How will it kill him?"

"He's allergic to the chemical that will change him back. We're damn lucky it didn't kill him when it transformed him." Bones pinched the bridge of his nose. "I've done several simulations and they all end with him suffering from a respiratory attack and shutdown of his airways. He becomes our Jim again, but it kills him."

"Are there no other possibilities?"

Leonard shook his head. "None. You can take a look at my findings and see if you can figure out a way, but at this point Jim is stuck as a child. I can't fix him."


	8. Chapter 8

**Author's note: **Thanks again for all of your reviews – you guys are wonderful! One of my favorite moments is in the beginning of this chapter. It's actually the scene I had written before I started writing the story. My inspiration. :)

Enjoy the chapter! I won't get a chance to update again until after Christmas. So, if you celebrate it… Merry Christmas!

* * *

**Chapter Eight**

Leonard sighed and carried Jim into his quarters. The little boy rested his head on his shoulder. Bones refused to spend any more time in the medbay; he desperately needed a break from the results. Spock was examining his findings and seeing if he could assist. At that moment, there was nothing he could do.

"Let's get your pajamas on," Bones said.

"No." Jim stuck out his lower lip. "I don't wanna go to bed."

"I promise I'll tell you a bedtime story."

"Okay."

Jim pulled off his shirt and threw it across the room. The doctor rolled his eyes and helped him undress the rest of the way. Leonard slipped the pajama top over the little boy's head. He pulled it down and grabbed the pair of blue pants. Jim giggled as Bones lifted him and pulled the elastic waist up. He tickled the sides of the little guy, enjoying the sound of his laughter before adjusting the pants. Bones immediately froze.

"What the – these fit you yesterday." He frowned. "Oh, damn it. McCoy to Spock."

"Spock here."

"We have a bigger problem."

Jim frowned. "What's wrong, Bones?"

Leonard picked up Jim and held him tight. The problem was getting worse and he couldn't fix it. Bones grabbed the elephant off of the bed. "Meet me in the medbay, Spock."

"Understood."

The doctor moved slowly to the medbay, dreading what he would find. Jim didn't say anything. Christine saw them enter and frowned at the sight of the two. She walked over to them.

"Is there something I can help you with, Doctor?"

Leonard felt his throat closing up and he shook his head. She followed him anyway as he set the boy down on the biobed. Doctor M'Benga came over and Leonard simply motioned for his coworker to examine him. He couldn't say anything. Out of the corner of his eyes, Leonard saw Spock enter the medbay. Bones stumbled as he took a step back from the bed.

"Doctor, are you alright?" Christine asked.

The doctor steadied himself on the nurse's station before stumbling into the small ICU privacy room. Spock stepped into the room behind him and closed the door. Leonard walked toward the tray of medical instruments and sent them scattering across the room. He growled low. Spock waited patiently. Bones put both hands on the biobed, barely holding himself up. His head dropped to his chest. Spock listened to the doctor's shaky breaths. He moved a step closer. It took several minutes for Leonard's breathing to even out and he wiped his face with the edge of his sleeve. Bones didn't turn around.

"Jim's losing weight. He should be gaining weight with the healthier food I've been making sure he eats. I went to put on his pajamas and they didn't fit right. They fit last night. Hell, I should have noticed he was a little lighter when I carried him to my quarters." Bones ran his hands over his face. "Jim is getting smaller and at this rate, he only has a few months before… there's nothing left."

The doctor turned, crossing his arms over his chest. He stared at Spock and the Vulcan glimpsed his red-rimmed eyes.

"Is it possible to delay the regression?" Spock asked.

Bones shook his head. "No. Jim's still allergic to the damn cure and I can't find anything else. Starfleet will have to be informed of the changes and I know what they'll do. Jim will be recalled to Earth and he'll be placed in the care of Starfleet Medical since he doesn't have any other family. His mom won't help him." He sighed. "I won't let him be alone. If they take him back to Earth, I'll resign from Starfleet. I won't give up on Jim."

"I understand, Doctor. How much time do we have before we need to report these findings to Starfleet Medical?"

The doctor shrugged. "I don't know. We might have a few days, but we can't keep it from them."

"With your permission, I would like to spend more time assisting you with your research. I believe the human phrase is two heads are better than one." Spock turned his head a little. "We cannot let Jim down."

"Okay. What do we do first?"

"Jim needs you," Spock stated. "I will study the information, but Jim is in need of your assistance right now. He requires the comfort only you can give him."

They both went to the door and stepped back into the main part of the medbay. M'Benga stared at the screen of his tricorder. Nurse Chapel held Jim in her arms as the little boy cried softly. He looked up when the door opened and stared at Bones as big tears rolled down his cheeks. She set him down and he ran to his best friend. Leonard picked him up and held tight to him, rubbing his back.

"I'm sorry, kid."

Jim didn't say anything as he tightened his grip around the man's neck.

"Doctor M'Benga and I will spend the evening working on a solution," Spock said. "I suggest you take Jim back to your quarters for now. I will keep you informed."

Bones nodded. "Thank you."

He squeezed Jim tight and carried him from the medbay. Jim adjusted his grip once the doors were closed and he stared into the doctor's eyes. The little guy placed a hand on his cheek. Leonard felt his heart break a little more.

"What's wrong? You're sad." His fingers ran down the doctor's cheeks where the tears had fallen.

"It's nothing."

Jim frowned. "Don't lie to me."

Even four-year-old Jim knew him better than he cared to admit. He wasn't going to take no for an answer.

Bones sighed before answering in a soft voice. "Jim, you're really sick. But I'm doing everything I can to help you and I'll be with you, no matter what happens."

"But my ear feels better!" the little boy protested. "I don't feel sick."

"It's not your ear." Leonard wished it was just his ear, but he couldn't explain the regression to the young version of his captain. "It's a little different. But you don't have to be scared. I'm gonna take care of you. Even if we have to leave Enterprise and return to Earth, I will stay with you, Jim."

Jim released his cheek and nuzzled his nose against the stubble on the doctor's chin. "Love you, Bones."

"I love you too, kid."

* * *

Leonard watched as Jim ran around in the observation room, almost tripping on the legs of his overalls. He sighed. There was no point in telling him to stop. The kid had too much energy and needed to run off some before he napped. Uhura pretended to tickle him and moved around the corner to chase him. The doors opened to admit Spock. Leonard quickly pushed himself up on the couch.

"Have you made any progress?" he asked.

Spock stood beside the couch, watching Jim being tickled by his girlfriend. He turned his attention back to the anxious doctor. "I believe I may have a solution, although it is not ideal."

"Please sit." Bones took the PADD from the Vulcan. "Anything is better than my failure."

"That is not true, Doctor. Without your work, I would not have been able to assist with your efforts."

The two sat in silence as Bones read through the information. Jim noticed Spock's entrance and ran over. Leonard covered his smile with his hand as the Vulcan lifted Jim onto his lap and listened to him giggle. The Vulcan did have a soft side. He scrolled down, trying to process the information.

"Jim, can you go play with Uhura? Maybe she can take you for some ice cream in the mess hall." Leonard motioned for her to come over.

"I want you to come with me," Jim whined.

The doctor set the PADD down for a moment and kissed Jim's forehead. "I'll be there in a little bit. I made you a promise."

Jim stuck out his pinky. Bones shook his head as he wrapped his pinky around Jim's and shook it. Uhura had taught him how to pinky swear in the morning when she said she'd play Mr. Potato Head with him after breakfast. Spock thanked Nyota as she carried the bouncing boy to the mess hall and left them to talk in private.

"It might be possible. Jim isn't allergic to any of those components, but it's risky. Administering any pain medication with the others would be fatal. He'd have to suffer through the transformation. What are the odds from the simulations?"

"I predict the odds of the serum being successful to be sixty-seven percent." Spock's brows tightened. "It would not be a comfortable situation for Jim."

"I can't imagine the amount of pain he'd be in, but it might work." Leonard rubbed his face. "We have to decide if it's moral to cause him such pain."

"Doctor, you have said it yourself. Without this treatment Jim will have months left to live. We do not have any other options."

The doctor stood and paced back and forth. "He'd be in extreme pain. My first oath as a doctor is not to cause harm and this would surely harm him. I can't even explain it to him. He's just a little boy."

"Could we keep him sedated during the process?" Spock inquired.

"I'll have to study the information and let you know." He sighed. "I'll work on it tonight after Jim falls asleep and give you my report in the morning."

"It would be best not to delay since he is still regressing."

"Yeah. I know."

Spock excused himself to return to the Bridge and Leonard headed to the mess hall. As soon as he walked in, Bones started laughing. Jim ran across the room, holding an ice cream cone in one hand with chocolate smeared on his cheeks and on his overalls.

"I got chocolate!" Jim exclaimed as his sticky fingers rubbed ice cream on the doctor's uniform.

"I can see that."

Bones lifted him onto the table and let the little boy's legs dangle. He found a wet cloth to clean him up. Jim giggled as he wiped the ice cream up; he tried to put the ice cream cone back into his mouth and made another mess. Leonard sighed and gave up. He watched as Jim offered some of his ice cream to Nyota. _How could he cause Jim such unbearable pain? _Bones didn't know if he could, but he had to.

* * *

"I'll be with you the whole time. Do you understand, Jim?" Bones asked as he spoke to the little boy lying on the biobed.

Christine had dressed him in a pair of too big scrubs to give him a little bit of growing room, though Bones suspected it might be a bit premature since he'd no doubt get a high fever and sweat through the clothing in no time. Jim appeared even smaller in the bed with the oversized clothing. The IV port was already in his hand, administering fluids. Spock and Bones had decided it was be easier to administer the cure through the IV instead of a hypo. It would give him a little break before the pain started. Bones adjusted the levels on the bed and sat back down in the chair.

"It's really gonna hurt?" Jim's lip trembled a little.

Bones ran his fingers through the boy's hair. "Yeah, Jim. But I can help you fall asleep if it becomes too much. The bad part is that once I start the treatment, I won't be able to stop it, even though it hurts you," the doctor explained.

Nurse Chapel prepared the nasal cannula and placed it in the drawer beside Jim's bed in case they needed it. Leonard turned his attention back to Jim. The risks were high, but it would be worse if he didn't give Jim the modified serum. Spock's results made him hopeful.

"I'm scared," Jim whispered.

Leonard barely managed to swallow the lump forming in his throat. "I know, kiddo. I'm right here for you." He put out his pinky.

"Pinky promise." Jim smiled as he wrapped his finger around the doctor's. "I can be brave."

"I know you can, but it's okay to be scared too."

"We are ready, Doctor." Spock said, stepping forward from where he'd been synthesizing the serum with Doctor M'Benga. "Would you like to do the honors?"

Leonard rolled his eyes and swore under his breath as he took the needle. Jim giggled. God, he was gonna miss that sound. He took a deep breath as he inserted the needle and the substance went into the IV. Jim held tight to his elephant and smiled at Bones. It was going to be a long twenty-four hours for both of them.


	9. Chapter 9

**Chapter Nine**

_2 Hours into the Procedure_

"Please, sir. I don't like this trick, sir. My tongue isn't quick or slick, sir. I get all those ticks and clocks, sir, mixed up with the chicks and tocks, sir. I can't do it, Mr. Fox, sir. I'm so sorry, Mr. Knox, sir." Bones paused to flip the page and glanced up at his patient.

Jim gave him a weak smile as he rubbed one eye with his fist. He squeezed his elephant and waited for Leonard to keep reading Fox in Socks by Dr. Seuss. The doctor glanced up at the monitor above the biobed and took a mental note of the stats.

Leonard returned the smile. "Here's an easy game to play. Here's an easy thing to say… New socks. Two socks. Whose socks? Sue's socks. That's not easy, Mr. Fox, sir."

There was a soft knock on the wall, getting both of their attentions. Leonard lowered the book as he looked at Nurse Chapel. She gave them a warm smile. Jim tried to push himself up a little more, but his arms wouldn't hold him and he leaned back against the bed.

"I'm sorry to bother you, but Lieutenant Uhura has a question for you, if you have a moment. Also, Commander Spock would like an update."

The doctor swore under his breath.

"It's alright, Bones. We can finish the book in a little bit. I'm not going anywhere," Jim said before Leonard could make a rude comment.

Bones stood and kissed the little boy's forehead. "I'll be right back, Jim. You can look at the pictures if you want." He handed the book to him before stepping out of the small room.

Uhura stood at the nurse's station with her hands tucked behind her and one leg rubbing the other. She quickly focused when she saw the doctor. Bones put up a finger. He rested both hands on the desk and dropped his head, forcing himself to take deep breaths and stop the trembling in his hands he'd barely managed to hide behind the book. Nyota put a hand on his shoulder.

"How are you doing, Leonard?" Her voice was soft and full of concern.

"I'm fine. It's Jim who needs your worry."

Christine handed him his PADD. He read the results on the screen and set it on the desk.

"Is there any change?"

Leonard shook his head. "His pain levels are increasing slightly, but there's no progress. Outwardly, Jim is a little tired and bored, but internally his body temperature has started to climb. Soon he'll start feeling the effects, whether or not the serum works."

"Are you saying that if the serum doesn't work, Jim will still be in extreme pain?"

"Yes, damn it." Bones took a drink of the water Christine handed him. "Sorry. I know it isn't your fault. It's hard to see him in pain. Jim is starting to become uncomfortable and I can't help him."

"We'll make it through this."

Leonard nodded and this time took the sandwich his head nurse gave him. His stomach rumbled, but he wasn't hungry. Knowing he needed to keep up his strength, Bones stomached a few bites of the sandwich before giving up.

"Where's Spock?"

It was Nyota's turn to sigh. "Admiral Barnett called for a report on the captain's condition. Spock is briefing him on our current situation. I know him well enough to know Spock was not pleased with telling him. He should be here soon. He's anxious about Jim too." She glanced at the curtain before looking at the weary doctor. "If it doesn't work, what will happen to Jim?"

Leonard ran his hand though his hair. "He'll be forced to return to Earth and live until… there's nothing left. But I won't leave him."

Nyota didn't have a chance to ask him what he meant as Spock entered the medbay. His eyebrows were tight and the expression on his face was almost angry. He came to stand next to them.

"How's Jim doing?"

"No change yet. What did Admiral Barnett want?" Leonard stood up a little straighter, crossing his arms over his chest.

"He is impatient to receive progress with Jim's condition. I do not think they will give us much more time."

"Bastard," the doctor swore.

Neither Nyota nor Spock made a comment on the matter. They were all pretty frustrated with the admiralty acting like they didn't want to help Jim become himself again. It was quite clear they were running out of time to save Jim.

"Is Jim well enough for a visitor?" the Vulcan inquired.

"I was just going to go back in to read finish reading to him." Leonard rubbed his chin for a moment. "Would you like to finish reading to him? It would give me a minute to study the scans so far."

"I would, Doctor."

Leonard followed him to the small area and pulled aside the curtain. Jim's eyes were open and he was looking at the pages of the book, but he was still on the same page. A faint blush dotted his cheeks. Bones checked his vitals and noted his temperature had risen a little. Jim held the book out to him.

"Hey buddy, is it okay if Spock finishes reading the book? I'll read the next one."

He nodded and swallowed. Bones handed him a cup of water, coaxing him to take a drink before heading to the edge of the curtain. He watched as Spock sat down and took the book from the little boy's hands. Jim's movements were stiff and his hands shook a little. The pain was getting worse. Jim smiled as Spock opened to the right page.

"Who sews whose socks? Sue sews Sue's socks. Who sees who sew whose new socks, sir? You see Sue sew Sue's new socks, sir. That's not easy, Mr. Fox, sir." The Vulcan paused for a moment before continuing. "Who comes? Crow comes. Slow Joe Crow comes."

Leonard shook his head as he listened. Never thought he'd hear Spock read a tongue-twister book to a little version of Jim. He moved to close the curtain, but paused. Jim lifted his hand and reached across the blanket. His small fingers rested on top of Spock's. The Vulcan stopped reading. Jim nodded once and smiled as Spock held his hand and started to read again. Bones closed the curtain before he started to cry.

*~*~* LINE

_6 Hours into the Procedure_

Jim shivered as he stared blankly at his elephant with his thumb in his mouth. He was curled in the fetal position and whimpering. Bones wiped the sweat from his brow with a cold cloth, feeling his heart contract painfully at the sight of his best friend in so much pain. The doctor glanced up at the stat screen. 103.4 degrees. Bones called for Christine to bring him a few cold packs. The antipyretic he'd given Jim an hour ago wasn't having much of an effect on his fever. The little boy squirmed as Bones lay the cold packs under his arms, behind his knees, and at his groin.

"Cold," he whispered around his thumb.

"I know. I'm sorry buddy, but your fever is really high. I need to cool you down."

Jim pulled his thumb out of his mouth. "I don't feel hot. I'm cold."

"That's the fever, kiddo."

He suddenly pulled his right leg in tight and let out a small cry of pain. Leonard felt his stomach churn at the sight of Jim's pained expression.

"Where's it hurt?" Bones asked, coaxing the limb from him.

"Back of my leg." Tears rolled down his cheeks.

The doctor massaged Jim's calf until he calmed down a little and returned to sniffling. Spock moved from his spot on the other side of the biobed. He placed a hand on Jim's shoulder to calm him. The little boy scrambled into his arms. _So much for the cold packs_, Bones thought. He isn't going to stay still long enough. He might have to recommend a cold sponge bath. Spock cradled Jim in his arms, sitting back in his chair and being careful not to bump the IV in Jim's hand.

"It hurts!" Jim cried.

"What type of pain is he experiencing?" Spock rubbed Jim's arm and let the little boy snuggle against him.

"It's like extreme growing pains. There's no change yet, but the pain could be a sign the serum is starting to work. It damn better be. I don't know if I can take this." Leonard pulled out a hypo and pressed it to the boy's neck. "That's a mild anti-inflammatory to hopefully relieve a little pain. I can't give him anything else or it will mix with the serum and kill him."

Jim grabbed Spock's arm and used the edge of his sleeve as a tissue to wipe his nose. Bones bit his lip to keep from laughing at him. Jim released his arm, shivering violently. The doctor grabbed the boy's blanket, handing it to Spock who gently wrapped it around his small frame.

"Are you hungry at all?" Bones asked.

Jim shook his head. "No food. My tummy hurts."

Sweat beads clung to his forehead. Bones noted Jim couldn't stop trembling and he shuddered every few moments. He couldn't keep the boy awake and in such pain. It wasn't moral. Leonard knelt beside Spock and leaned in closer to Jim. He ran his fingers through the boy's damp hair.

"Would you like to sleep, Jim?"

It broke his heart to see the little boy nod and reach for him. Bones took Jim in his arms. He kissed him on the head and lay him down on the biobed. Nurse Chapel handed him the prepared hypo and left him alone with the boy. Spock stayed where he was. Bones pulled the nasal cannula from the drawer and connected it to the oxygen. The little boy's breathing was slightly labored. Leonard tucked the clear tubing behind Jim's ears. Jim winced as the prongs pinched his nose, but relaxed as the oxygen was drawn into his lungs.

"Will I wake up again?" he asked.

"Yes." Bones kissed his forehead as he fought to keep the moisture from pooling in his eyes. "I won't let anything happen to you, Jim."

"Okay, Bones. I'm ready." Jim turned to look at Spock. "See you later, Pointy-Ears."

Leonard felt the laughter rise in his throat, but it fell. He pressed the hypo to Jim's neck, waiting as his eyes grew heavy. He held the boy's hand and squeezed tightly before his hand went limp. The pain wouldn't cease, but at least Jim wouldn't be awake to remember all of it.

*~*~* LINE

_10 Hours into the Procedure_

"You requested my presence," Spock stated, pulling aside the curtain with Uhura beside him.

Bones looked up and finished redressing Jim into a clean and dry set of scrubs. He'd sweat through the last set. The fever remained high. His heart rate was elevated despite the state of sleep, along with his high blood pressure. Leonard covered Jim back up with the cooling blanket.

"Jim is progressing." The doctor moved to the side to let Spock see the boy.

The serum had begun to take effect. He'd gained weight and height in the last few hours and appeared to be around the age of six human years. Jim whimpered softly. Spock turned his head a little to the left at the sight of the change and Nyota smiled. It gave them hope. Leonard lifted the hem of Jim's shirt and pulled it up high enough to show Spock the boy's ribs. Dark purple bruises dotted the skin, wrapping around from the back and to his waist. It appeared as if he'd been severely beaten. The young woman gasped, covering her mouth. She looked away.

"What happened to him?" Uhura asked.

"His body is a constant state of change, but someone hurt him." Bones shook his head, covering him back up. "His body is remaining in the state it was in when he was this age, like how he was emotionally neglected at first."

"What about Jim's mental state?" Spock asked.

"I don't know. We won't know until he wakes up. I can let you know in fourteen hours."

"We are almost half-way done."

"Jim has a long way to go. And it is only going to get worse. I'll keep him sedated until this is over so he isn't confused, but the pain will remain." Leonard fell into the chair behind him and rested his head in his palms. "There's still a chance he won't even survive the transformation. I have no idea what the hell will happen. It's up to Jim's strength at this point."


	10. Chapter 10

**Author's note: **This chapter gave me quite a bit of a struggle, so I hope you like it. It's very tense and stressful, even to write. There's one chapter left. Please forgive any medical errors; I'm not a doctor. I did modify some canon, but it is minor. Thank you for all of the reviews!

Enjoy!

* * *

**Chapter Ten**

_14.5 Hours into the Procedure_

"He's seizing!"

Bones scrambled to grab the hypo as Jim's body convulsed on the table. The twelve-year-olds body ragged with a high fever. He injected the hypo into Jim's neck, holding his shoulder down with the other hand to steady him. A few seconds later, his body lay still. Nurse Chapel wiped the sweat from his skin. Bones fell into the chair beside the bed and glanced up at the monitor. His temperature was down from 104.1 to 102.9. Christine put a hand on his shoulder, causing him to look up.

"Would you like me to take a blood sample, Doctor?" she asked.

"Yeah, go ahead." Bones needed a minute to process everything.

The doctor was beyond exhausted. He watched as Jim's chest rose and fell. His oxygen levels had dropped during the seizure and weren't coming up well. Leonard leaned over and gently palpated Jim's throat. There was some swelling and tension. He picked up the oxygen mask, fitting it over his best friend's face to give him better access to the oxygen his lungs craved. Jim's stats showed he was stable for the moment. It had happened when he went to the bathroom for two minutes; Bones came back to the alarms blaring and Jim's weak body shaking.

"You can come back in, Spock." Leonard sighed at the sound of pure fatigue in his voice.

"How is Jim?"

"Stable. For now."

Spock's eyes focused on the bruises surrounding the boy's upper arm. Leonard noticed his gaze and lifted the blanket, covering Jim up. Nurse Chapel came in and took a blood sample from the boy's arm, exposing his skin again. More bruises were visible. Bones felt his stomach churn and he looked away. The nurse finished, promising to run it quickly and bring him the results.

"May I inquire to how Jim received those bruises?"

The doctor stood and grabbed the curtain, making sure it was pulled all the way across. He returned to his seat and dabbed sweat from Jim's forehead. Leonard added the cold backs around the small body to help lower his fever more.

"Do you know where Jim was when he was this age?"

Spock tilted his head. "I believe this section of his personnel file is restricted to the highest level."

"Not surprised. The only reason I have clearance is because of his medical file and I'm his personal physician." Leonard ran his hands over his face. "What do you know about Tarsus IV?"

"Tarsus IV was the site of a Federation colony, where an exotic fungus destroyed the colony's food supply. 4000 colonists were killed before Starfleet arrived to assist them."

The doctor nodded. "Yeah, and there were nine survivors who could identify the bastard executioner, Governor Kodos." Leonard swallowed the lump in his throat as Jim groaned. "Jim was one of them."

"Would telling me this information violate protocol?"

"No. Hell, I don't care!" Bones shook his head. "Jim called himself JT and he saved a group of kids in the wilderness, but he suffered for it. Kodos captured him and tortured him specifically. By the time help arrived, Jim was found in a cell and very ill. Jim barely lived. The bruises on his arms are no doubt from that bastard, Kodos."

"I did not know. Captain Kirk deserved a medal for saving those children."

Jim moaned in the bed, trying to roll to his side. Leonard put a hand on the boy's shoulder and ran his fingers through his hair to calm him down. Spock watched as the boy relaxed slightly. The doctor continued his ministrations as he talked.

"He refused to tell anyone his name, except to one person; the lieutenant who rescued him and recognized him." Bones raised an eyebrow.

It was Spock's turn to continue the story. "Pike. Lieutenant Pike rescued survivors from Tarsus IV before he was promoted to Captain."

"You're right. He did and he protected Jim's identity, sealing the information in his file to protect him from anyone coming after him. Kodos is supposedly dead, but Jim didn't believe it was him. Pike even took care of Jim until he was healthy again. The infection he suffered from being in Kodos' prison almost killed him and hurt his already weakened immune system."

"Jim did not mention this."

"He wouldn't have. He's private. I got him drunk once and he told me all about it. The poor kid was miserably sick from the memories and the alcohol. I never mentioned it again."

Twenty minutes passed in silence. Jim continued to cry out in pain and Bones wiped the sweat from his brow. The sheets needed changed again, along with Jim's clothing. The doctor procured new scrubs and returned. He didn't want Christine to see Jim like this. His best friend wouldn't have liked it. Spock and Bones carefully peeled the soaked clothing off of Jim's small body. His entire back was covered in purple and red. He'd been beaten severely. Bones could count each one of Jim's ribs. He remembered the man telling him he used to give his portion of the stolen food to the other children, instead of saving any for himself. There were shallow cuts on his thighs from a blade. Leonard took a deep breath and finished dressing the boy in clean clothing.

Spock gently put his hand on Jim's, being careful not to dislodge the IV. "I am sorry, Jim."

* * *

_18 Hours into the Procedure_

"He was a handsome teenager," Uhura said, wiping Jim's brow.

"I won't tell Jim you said that." Bones gave her a half smile and adjusted the drip on the IV.

Jim's approximate age was around nineteen years old. They were getting close to having Jim back, but the stress of the procedure was taxing his system. Jim fully relied on the oxygen mask and he coughed harshly. The blood sample showed he had an infection and Bones was barely keeping it contained until his body had the strength to fight it. At least the marks of Kudos' mistreatment were gone.

"He was a handful as a kid, but he was hell as a teenager," Leonard commented.

Nyota gasped, dropping the cloth. "I barely touched him."

Leonard quickly turned his attention to the cut appearing above Jim's right brow. He recognized that wound from hearing about it. Jim had confronted his stepfather, unable to take it anymore, and he received a hit with a shovel in return. Despite the injury, Jim was quite proud of the story. He never went home after that.

"It's okay. It's an old wound, a result of the state he's in."

"Oh, I'm sorry."

Bones shrugged. "Not a problem. You and I didn't hit him."

The monitor beeped, alerting the doctor to a new problem. Jim's kidneys weren't dealing with the stress of the procedure and were shutting down. Bones swore under his breath. He didn't know how much more the poor kid's body could take from the procedure. His pain levels were dangerously high. There was nothing else he could do, but treat the symptoms carefully so they didn't counteract the serum in Jim's bloodstream. He felt like returning to that damn planet and hitting those flowers with a shovel for doing this to his best friend.

"What will happen to him if his mind doesn't survive this? If he's still mentally a child." Nyota's words were soft.

Bones administered a hypo to Jim's neck. "Then I'll have to change him back to a child. I can inject him with the serum again and according to my simulations, he'll be little Jim again."

The communications officer crossed her arms over her chest. "It would be a hard life. Jim would still have the memories from his past life. I can't imagine being a child and knowing I died or that I had another life."

"Yes," Leonard said. "But I'd do my best to suppress them. Jim would have a chance at a second childhood."

Nyota smiled. "It would be a happy childhood with you as his father."

The doctor couldn't say anything for a moment. "I'd rather have my best friend back, but I won't leave Jim if he needs me."

"You miss him?"

"More than I can admit." The doctor checked Jim's vitals again, putting his hand on Jim's. "He has to make it through this."

* * *

_21.75 Hours into the Procedure_

"Clear!"

Bones pressed the defibrillation paddles to Jim's chest, watching as his body rose beneath them. He swore loudly as he looked up at the screen. One. Two. His pulse flat lined again.

"Charge again!" Leonard waited a moment before placing the paddles his friend's chest. "Clear!"

Jim's body jolted. One-two. Three-four. His pulse slowly increased. Bones dropped the paddles onto the table and rested his hands against the biobed, fighting to get oxygen back into lungs as the shock passed. Spock put a hand on his shoulder. Nurse Chapel cleaned up Jim and covered him with the blanket again.

"He's gone into cardiac arrest twice in the last hour. His heart can't handle the stress," the doctor said, standing up and wiping his forehead with the back of his hand. "His body temperature is out of control, his kidneys are barely functioning, his oxygen levels won't stay up, and his heart keeps stopping. Jim's body is giving up."

"Is there anything you can do to help regulate his systems until the procedure is complete?" Spock asked.

Bones rubbed his chin. "There is an option. I could intubate him, putting him on a respirator and an external pacemaker."

"Would it stabilize his condition?"

"Yes. There are possible complications, but at this point, it might be Jim's only option."

Spock nodded once. "Proceed, Doctor."

Leonard went to get the supplies ready to intubate him. Spock went to the bridge to give a report to Starfleet. _Nosy bastards_, Bones thought. He asked Christine to assist him with the procedure, but asked for a minute alone with Jim first. Leonard pulled the curtain closed. He sat heavily in the chair, looking at Jim's face. He looked like himself, but his age wasn't fully corrected yet. Sweat ran down his forehead and fell to the sheets. The oxygen mask fogged up as Bones listened to Jim's raspy breathing. He was fighting and losing. It was the only way to help him reach the end of the procedure.

"Damn it, Jim. You have to make it through this. I'll never forgive myself if you don't." He squeezed Jim's limp hand. "I'm sorry, but this isn't going to feel good. It'll be over soon."

He took one last look at his friend's pained expression. Bones leaned over and kissed his forehead like he'd done when Jim was little and needed comfort. Jim still needed the comfort. Christine entered the curtained area, having scrubbed and waited for Leonard to proceed. The intubation process went smoothly. He forced himself to think objectively as he worked and had no issues. He hooked the tubing to the machine and waited. The doctor pressed the small external pacemaker to Jim's chest over his heart. He took a step back. Bones watched as the machine pushed air into Jim's lungs and pulled it out again. The monitor beeped steadily with the sound of his heart. He let out a soft noise and placed his hands on the biobed to steady himself. Christine put a hand on his shoulder.

"The captain won't give up. You're both too stubborn to let that happen." She gave him a half smile. "I'll give you some time alone and I'll bring you something to eat."

"Just coffee."

"Nice try, Doctor. You need to eat first and then I might bring you some coffee."

He nodded, not having any strength to debate with his head nurse. Leonard took Jim's hand again and tried to take comfort in the warmth, but couldn't.

"Hold on, Jim. Just a little bit longer. You can make it through this." He paused for a moment. "I won't lose you again."


	11. Chapter 11

**Author's note: **Thank you to everyone who has reviewed, alerted, or favorited this story! This is the last chapter. It's been a great time! To the guest who reviewed last chapter: Sorry, my science isn't quite right. It is fanfiction. :)

To those you asked, I am considering writing a fic with Pike rescuing Jim, but I haven't decided yet. You'll have to wait and find out. Again, thanks to everyone for enjoying my story! I'd love to hear your thoughts on the last chapter or if you'd like me to write a Pike rescuing Jim from Tarsus story.

Enjoy!

* * *

**Chapter Eleven**

_25.95 Hours into the Procedure_

"His fever broke about thirty minutes ago. He's showing some signs of the sedation wearing off. I'm waiting for the latest blood test results. Once the serum is out of his system, I can give him some much needed pain medication." Leonard smiled as he stared at Jim's stats as he briefed Spock. "The worst is over. Now we just have to find out if it worked."

Christine and Leonard had just finished changing Jim into a clean pair of medical scrubs. He was extremely happy they fit him again, even though he'd lost a little weight from the whole ordeal. His kidney functions were up, but his urine inputs were low. Leonard added another bag of fluids.

"Do you believe the procedure worked?" Spock inquired.

"Physically, Jim is back to his current age, but we won't know his emotional or mental state until he wakes up. I'd guess he might be conscious in two or three hours." Bones checked his vitals and made a note on his PADD.

A soft beep came from the computer. Jim's pulse was increasing. Bones prepared to remove the external pacemaker, since his body was functioning without it. It wasn't affecting him. Christine waited with the tray as Bones removed the small piece of technology. Jim's heart continued beating as the ventilator did the work. He was starting to show signs of fighting the machine, but his oxygen levels weren't steady enough to be without it.

"Will you inform me when Jim is conscious?"

"Yeah, go let the bastards know Jim is recovering." Bones stood next to the curtain.

"Doctor?"

"What?"

Spock picked up a small wrapped package and held it out. "Nyota and I created a gift for you, to honor your work with little Jim and to thank you."

"You didn't have to do that."

"Nyota insisted."

Bones took the package and tore it open. He flipped the small book over in his hands and opened it. His hand immediately went to his mouth, covering his shocked expression at the photos of little Jim sitting on his lap and smiling up at him. There was also a picture of Jim sitting in the captain's chair with his elephant and blanket as he stared at the view screen. He could see the real Jim in his smile. The book was filled with pictures of Jim as a little boy, interacting with his friends, but mostly spending time with Bones.

"I don't know what to say…" Bones cleared his throat and tried to give it back. "I don't deserve this."

Spock didn't move. "Doctor, it is not polite to return a gift. No matter how things progress, the book belongs to you."

The doctor simply nodded and kept the book with him. Spock excused himself. Bones blinked quickly to clear his eyes and stared at the picture of Jim sitting in the captain's chair.

* * *

Bones crossed his arms over his chest as he waited. Jim's body was returning to awareness and Spock was on his way to the medbay to wait with him. Jim's eyes fluttered, but didn't open. All traces of the fever were gone and infection was under control. His pain levels hadn't decreased though.

"Come on Jim," Leonard whispered.

"Doctor, is he awake?" Spock stepped into the small area.

"Not yet, but he's close."

The sound of the air leaving Jim's lungs jarred the doctor's focus. There was a slight catch in the sound, almost like a small cough. He turned his attention to his friend. Glassy blue eyes stared up blankly. It took one second for them to focus on Leonard's face before the alarms started blaring. Jim tried to push himself up as he gagged.

"Jim!" Bones exclaimed. "Calm down, don't fight the machine. It's helping you breath."

"Doctor, can it be removed?" Spock asked as Jim continued to fight the ventilator.

Leonard didn't answer him, but addressed Jim. "If you calm down, I can remove it. Jim, listen to my voice."

He lay back and appeared to calm down, though his heart was still racing.

"On the count of three, I need you to cough and keep coughing. It's gonna be uncomfortable, but I'll get it out."

Jim nodded.

"One. Two. Three."

The captain started coughing as Leonard unconnected the tube and removed it from his throat. Jim hacked and tried to push himself up. Spock took a step closer and adjusted the level of the biobed so Jim was sitting up at an incline. Leonard handed Jim the oxygen mask and he greedily held it to his face.

"What's your name?" Bones asked.

The young man gasped. "James T. Kirk. Why are you –"

"Do you know where you are?"

"I'm on the Enterprise. Bones, why are you asking me?"

Leonard shook his head. "What did I say to you the first time we met?"

"Bones?"

"Just answer the question."

Jim took another gulp of oxygen. "You said you might throw up on me. What the hell happened?"

Before Jim could utter another sound, Bones wrapped his arms around him and almost crushed him. Jim returned the embrace. He let go after a minute, but the doctor didn't move.

"Bones?"

Leonard pulled back and clapped his best friend on the shoulder. "It's good to have you back."

Jim tried to speak again, but went into a fit of coughing, wincing and putting his hand on his throat. Bones brought him a cup of water. He instructed him to take a few small sips so he didn't throw up. Jim lay back and fought to regain his breath.

"What the hell happened?" the captain asked.

"I told you not to touch it."

Spock put his arms behind his back. "What is the last thing you remember?"

"Umm…" Jim rubbed his forehead. "We were on the planet and watching the flower's transformation. I don't remember anything after that." He grimaced and let out an audible groan as he tried to move. "Why do I feel like this?"

Leonard stepped out of the curtained area for a moment and came back with his PADD. He pulled up the results of the blood sample. The serum already cleared from his bloodstream. It was safe to give Jim a pain medication to ease the aches. He grabbed and filled a hypo.

"It is what you would call a long story," Spock answered. "Doctor McCoy can give you more information when you are recovered."

Jim nodded as his eyes closed. He quickly opened them again, fighting to stay conscious. Bones moved up close to Jim and injected the hypo into his neck. The captain relaxed as the medication eased the discomfort. Bones fit the oxygen mask back over Jim's face, adjusting it so he couldn't pull it off.

"You're okay, I promise. Just get some sleep."

Bones could have sworn Spock's lips turned up just a little bit as Jim fell asleep. He was alive and he was their Jim again.

* * *

Bones pressed the doorbell to Jim's corridors and waited for him to answer. He'd discharged the captain after spending three days in the medbay. His memories were intact, but he didn't remember what had happened during the regression. Bones had explained everything to him. Jim was a bit uncomfortable with the thought of a miniature version of himself running around the ship. Leonard assured him he didn't behave too differently. Despite some lingering pain in his joints, Jim was off duty for a few days and recovering in his quarters. Bones tried to meet him for dinner, but he had cancelled, claiming he'd had dinner with Spock. It only took one call to find out Jim was lying. But Leonard gave him some space.

Meaning, it was a little after four in the morning and Bones hadn't heard from Jim since he discharged him that afternoon. He entered his medical override and stepped into Jim's quarters.

"Hey Bones."

Bones ordered the computer to turn on the lights and saw Jim was sitting up in his bed, only wearing plaid pajamas pants and holding his PADD.

"Jim? Sorry, I didn't mean to wake you."

He set the PADD down. "You didn't wake me. I couldn't sleep."

"Me either. I thought I'd see how you were feeling."

Leonard carried his bag over and set it on the bed next to Jim before taking the space beside him. The captain stared at the bag. Bones laughed, opening it and pulling out the blanket and elephant. Jim gently took them in his hands.

"I thought you might like to keep them. Even if you don't remember it, you wouldn't sleep or go anywhere without those two items." Leonard shrugged.

"I didn't get a chance to thank you for everything you did while I was… little." Jim cleared his throat. "Thank you. I'm sure you made a great dad."

"That's what you told me when you were little. Spock even enjoyed having you around as a kid, though he'll deny it if you ask him."

Jim ran his fingers through his hair, which was still damp from a recent shower. He must not have been able to sleep. Bones guessed his nightmares had returned and hoped they were not the same ones he suffered from when he was little.

"I brought something else for you." Leonard stuck his hand into the bag and pulled out a silver frame.

Jim took it and a smile appeared on his face. His fingers traced the image of his younger self sitting in the captain's chair with his blanket and elephant. The kid looked really happy. He swallowed around the lump in his throat. Bones handed him another frame; this one had a picture of Jim sitting on the doctor's lap with his thumb in his mouth. The doctor kissed his forehead. Emotions surged up within him. Jim set both gifts down on the bed and wrapped his arms around Bones. He gasped and tried to control his emotions to no avail. Bones didn't say anything, but rubbed his back until he calmed down.

"Sorry. I don't know what's wrong with me," Jim mumbled, wiping his face on his blanket.

"It's okay. I expect those symptoms will go away in a few days. Your body is still adjusting, along with your emotions."

The younger man nodded. "I don't know how to deal with everything. Or how to talk to everyone after what they saw."

"You're still their Captain, Jim. Give it a little time." Bones embraced him again. "You're gonna be okay."

"Thanks to you, Bones. I'd be nowhere without you."

Bones smacked his friend gently on the shoulder and grabbed the elephant off the bed. He held it in his hands, touching the soft nose. "You know… even as a kid, you trusted me. You screamed at Spock, but you came right to me and wanted to be held by only me."

"I'm a smart kid."

"Yes you are. And I'll help you get through this."

Jim put a hand on his shoulder. "I expected nothing less, Bones."

* * *

"Captain on the bridge!" Chekov's voice rang out.

Jim stepped out of the lift and headed toward his chair. Each and every member of the bridge crew were standing and smiling at him. Bones stood beside his chair. Jim nodded at Spock and gave him a warm smile, clapping him on the shoulder. The Vulcan returned the gesture, putting a hand on the captain's shoulder for a brief second before letting it fall.

"It is agreeable to see you in command again, Captain," Spock said, rising one eyebrow.

"Thanks, Spock. I missed it too. You been taking good care of my ship?"

"Of course, Captain. Will you be requiring any naps during your shift today?"

Jim rolled his eyes. "Only if you feel you need one, Grandpa. I feel young again. Well, older but younger. Nevermind." He sat down in his chair.

"Jim, just remember one thing," Bones began.

"Remember what?"

"Don't touch things you aren't supposed to."

Jim grinned from ear to ear. "Don't worry, Bones. I learned my lesson."

"Yeah, right." He tapped the small bracelet on his wrist. "I'm not counting on it. But I'll be right with you, whether holding your hand or your puke bowl."

"I know you will." Jim relaxed into his chair. "Let's go on an adventure."


End file.
